Sunday I took the opportunity to walk with Sharon as she trained her fun lovin' pups Riley and Scout. Sharon has been working on leash training so she can walk them tandemly for exercise. What a challenge...but she is up to the task.
We met at the Farmers Market in Merriam to walk the bicycle trail south toward 75th Street. The animals wiggled excitedly as they waited for the command to exit Sharon's Explorer. Once out of the vehicle they tugged happily on their leashes; I had flashbacks to Katie and Trent's dog Wellington....a hefty animal that "towed" his human down the street on his "ski rope leash" as he searched for sites to "mark".
Sharon immediately took command of the situation; she instructed me on leash holding so Scout would stroll at my pace. We worked together to maintain the upper hand.
Dogs are intrigued by almost everything; a squirrel, another dog, or a bicyclist can cause the ears to perk up and the dog brain to intently focus. Being the good observer/trainer that she is, Sharon immediately and firmly told the dogs "leave it." The ears would droop and Scout and Riley relaxed ....letting go and mentally moving on.
I was amazed as I watched this command have this marvelous effect. And I realized that I too "fixate", not on other dogs, of course, but on problems both real and imagined. And because I do not have a good canine trainer (like Sharon) to prod me to better behavior, I fail to "leave it" ....I drive myself nuts worrying some negative idea to a frazzle.
With this new insight into my behavior, I decided to try the "leave it" technique at work where I fixate frequently on coworkers that I cannot control. Today, as I worked, I paid attention to where my mind headed....the negative Bermuda Triangle of coworker fixation. And when I noticed the signs (no ears perking; nose pointing) I mentally told myself to "leave it". Then I took a deep breath, relaxed, and smiled.
My, my, I had a much better day.....and I owe it all to Sharon and Riley and Scout! Who says you can't teach an old dog a new trick. Ellen
Getting physical
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Training sessions have been going really well these past few weeks. I
swim, lift, and run on my own (or with the masters swim team) during the
week, and o...
12 years ago
3 comments:
There are plenty of old dogs who need to learn new tricks. I head the top of the list. I fixate on an idea until it almost drives me crazy. Usually,I think about something negative, like who said or did what to offend me. I fail to remember that I have also hurt or offended people. If I could just remember your tip, Ellen, it would probably add years to my life. I fear someday I will get permanently lost in my own Bermuda Triangle. Are we describing hell?
I like your breezy writing style. You provide lots of detail in an entertaining way. I felt like I was taking a walk with you and Sharon when I read your post. I wish I could have been there with both of you. It sounds like the day was fun and educational.
Thanks for bringing us new insight. I thought that tip, "Leave it" could work to help me push my plate back and refuse a second helping.
You might be interested to know that yesterday in Walmart I heard a father tell his obstinate young son, "Leave it." This behavior prompt must be catching on. Lets catch the next wave to sanity. Lets just "Leave it."
I love this story, and I'm glad you decided to share it on the blog, Mom! I can totally picture Riley and Scout as they "wiggled excitedly," waiting to get out of the vehicle.
Dogs are wiggly.
I'm glad you were able to "leave it" at work yesterday. That's an amazing accomplishment ... being able to focus on things we can control, rather than on things (and people) we can't.
Thanks for sharing this story!
Great story Ellen. I can just see those two characters, Scout and Riley strutting down the path, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells at the amusement park for dogs. Good for you for seeing how to incorporate "leave it" in your own life and give those every day challenges a new perspective. As Alpha Sharon would say "Good job".
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