Dogs and Being Genuine

One of the things I love best about Lilly, our canine heroine, is just how earnest she is about life. She takes most things in her day seriously. No matter what she does, you get the sense she truly means it. When she plays, she is all about playing. When she snuggles, she is all about snuggling. When she learns something new, she focuses like a laser on the task. A personal discipline is indeed one of my strong suits, but I could still learn a thing or two from my brilliant, genuine dog.

dog blog champion of my heartDog Training: Distractions and Drama

Our dog trainer friends tell us that when a dog cannot complete a task that we need to:

  • Give dogs more distance from distractions
  • Provide more frequent rewards
  • Lower our expectations

Lately, these strategies make a lot of sense in my life too. So next time you feel like you cannot get enough done or are not making good progress, ask yourself:

  • How can I get more space from the things bothering me?
  • Where are the rewards that matter?
  • Am I asking too much?

Back when I had an on-staff role in publishing, I often joked that my days felt like juggling BBs. Not bowling balls. Not medicine balls. BBs, whizzing by like bullets.

Lately, it has felt more like trying to work with a whole cavalcade of noisy animals speeding by on skateboards, in choppers, with jackhammers in hand. Perhaps you feel that way on occasion.

So, as we head into spring, let’s all look to simplify and give ourselves the space we need to succeed. How about we work at staying under threshold for a while, shall we?