Move outside your comfort zone — at your own pace
“I’ve always believed that the pure of heart can go unharmed where others fear to tread.” That is a quote from a fellow blogger, Sara. She had written it months ago and at the time, I retyped it and taped it next to my monitor so I could read it often and be reminded of […]
You can be threatening or calming
“You have a choice: you can be threatening or calming.” That’s what I read in an enlightening book entitled “On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals,” by Turid Rugaas. The author talks about our relationships with dogs, and of course, I also see the applications between manager and employee. Rugaas talks about how frequently we, […]
Otter tales
I can easily find connections between what happens with Grace and what happens in everyday human interactions. But my awareness doesn’t always stop with her. Nature is a wonderland for learning efficient and effective communication skills. Grace and I went for a walk this past Sunday morning. I chose a trail we’ve been on before, […]
Didn’t I already tell you that?
Does the following statement sound familiar: “I have specifically told him not to do that, but yet he still does it. It drives me crazy.” Or this one: “I know we’ve talked about that. And she said she understood. Yet just this morning, I witnessed her doing the same thing without making the changes […]
The proverbial backbone: having the courage to speak and listen openly to others
Tomorrow morning Grace and I are leaving at the crack of dawn (she doesn’t know this yet) and drive two hours west. We’re going to meet a dog chiropractor and have her evaluate Grace. Mind you, I’m not even sure what, if anything is wrong with Grace. I know most people would (and will) think […]
Nose-to-nose with a snapping turtle? What would you do?
I’ve never seen a baby snapping turtle before this past weekend. But I can thank Grace for the experience. My husband and I were enjoying a quiet afternoon by the small river that runs behind our property (some people call it a creek, I refer to it as a river as it technically is, but […]
Who are you? (with a fresh view)
In my last post, I talked about the importance of understanding a person by asking the question: “Who are you?” A fellow blogger, Sara, offered this comment, “I would be interested to hear how Grace and you define the answer.” It was a simple statement, but really sunk in for me. Sara had held me […]
Who are you?
I’m still reviewing and processing all the information I learned at Suzanne Clothier’s recent workshop on fearful dogs. The lessons most certainly apply to all dogs – and people. She suggests that there are elemental questions that we should ask a dog when interacting with her. The first of those questions is: “Who are you?” […]
Establishing rules works in tandem with freedom of choice
We all need rules. This doesn’t hinder our ability to be creative or have decision-making abilities. I think these are often confused. In the last post, I described how Suzanne Clothiercreates interactions between a dog and a human where dogs have a level of decision-making. When a dog can figure out a situation on their […]
When things don’t get done … ask again?
I’ve always heard that when you give a command to a dog, it’s not good form to keep repeating it until the dog complies. If I ask Grace to come, she should come—right then. Not wait until my third or fourth request, which would encourage a behavior and attitude for Grace that says, “I can […]
