Shaping Success for People and Dogs

One of the things I love so much about positive reinforcement dog training, and clicker training specifically, is how dogs learn to love learning and how brave they become in trying something … anything … new in hopes of finding success. Imagine your life, if you could find that same spirit.

Last Wednesday, I attended a book signing for Sue Petrovski’s newest book called Wild Apples: Reflections on a Thoughtful Life. Sue is the mother of a longtime friend and mentor.

The Bookery Nook, a dog-friendly and independent bookstore in Northwest Denver, hosted the event. (Alas, their dog book section was TINY. Like 5 books. When I asked, they said they just don’t sell, so they often send back copies ordered. That’s discouraging!)

Sue’s book offers short essays, poems, and quotations about life lessons, organized month by month … in a way that mirrors the journey we undertake from childhood forward.

One thing Sue said that night stuck with me:

Failure is only the elimination of an alternative.

After reflecting on this idea for a few days, it hit me. Considering, attempting, and possibly failing at anything we try in life is just like clicker training.

Just as our dogs “throw behaviors at us” hoping they’ll stick … we need to cultivate that attitude in ourselves.

• Trying matters.
• Creativity in looking at any and all options matters.
• Courage matters.

The regular world might still call it “failure” when things don’t turn out as we’d like, but through our prism of dogdom, there is only an alternative eliminated.

So when you’re feeling beleaguered, do what I do for Lilly … smile and say to yourself (or others), “Try again.”