Thursday
Oct272011
Thursday, October 27 My best student
Phone Rings....Conversation went something like this.
Other end of the Phone: I'm calling on behalf of my teacher, a Tai-Chi Master... he's 76 and has poor English. He lives in the second floor above a fruit market in China Town. We've had other trainers walk out on us... He needs help with his aggressive, 3 year old Golden Retriever. She's afraid of the stairs and has bitten him twice. She hasn't been outside in 1 year. Can you help?
My Brain: ... lots of thought waves start bubbling... most of them revolving around the terrible chemistry experiment that mixes old age with a young dog, likely high energy, frustration and potential aggression.... but then this thought emerges... When the student is ready, the teacher arrives.
My Response:... "Sure, I'll give it a shot".
... Like all my training sessions, I enter the house as though it's mine so that the dog knows that someone new is in charge.
Lucky was barking and frothing but receptive to my immediate shower of calming signals. As I made my way, slowly and silently into the apartment Lucky immediately retreated into a far corner and lay with her back to the wall. I spent the next 30 minutes in silence... trying various techniques to build trust. Food wasn't working.
Eventually Lucky started approaching me... I remained still and seemingly unaware, but she still wasn't sure of me and her guard was up. She was flashing her teeth, she was barking and she was attempting to look scary. Sensing her tactics I remained calm, motionless and fearless. This earned me even more trust. When her nose touched my jeans I knew that I had a chance at rehabbing her.
Fast forward only a few minutes and I had her leashed and we were trotting around the apartment.... then we trotted down the stairs... All of a sudden we’re doing wind sprints down a back alley in China Town.
My goal was to burn off a ton of Lucky’s energy as quickly as possible to take her edge off (poor girl hadn’t had a walk in years). Thankfully for me she could barely take a fourth sprint... both of us slowly walked back to the apartment to meet her owner.
The rest of the session played out smoothly... it ended with her owner successfully leashing her, walking her up and down the stairs of his apartment multiple times, and taking her for a nice walk.
I’m so grateful that I didn’t apply my prejudice to this case before taking it on. Any time you have an opportunity to meet a ‘master’ in his art, I highly encourage it. His grace and his attentiveness to the detail in the present moment were unlike anything I have ever witnessed. This allowed him to observe my dog handling methods and pick up on the nuances of what was truly happening. Most impressive, however, was his humility and gratitude.
Dogs are a very cool species... they’re only capable of living in the present. I truly think that my client’s open mind and exceptional ability to adapt to the present moment was Lucky’s saving grace.
Other end of the Phone: I'm calling on behalf of my teacher, a Tai-Chi Master... he's 76 and has poor English. He lives in the second floor above a fruit market in China Town. We've had other trainers walk out on us... He needs help with his aggressive, 3 year old Golden Retriever. She's afraid of the stairs and has bitten him twice. She hasn't been outside in 1 year. Can you help?
My Brain: ... lots of thought waves start bubbling... most of them revolving around the terrible chemistry experiment that mixes old age with a young dog, likely high energy, frustration and potential aggression.... but then this thought emerges... When the student is ready, the teacher arrives.
My Response:... "Sure, I'll give it a shot".
... Like all my training sessions, I enter the house as though it's mine so that the dog knows that someone new is in charge.
Lucky was barking and frothing but receptive to my immediate shower of calming signals. As I made my way, slowly and silently into the apartment Lucky immediately retreated into a far corner and lay with her back to the wall. I spent the next 30 minutes in silence... trying various techniques to build trust. Food wasn't working.
Eventually Lucky started approaching me... I remained still and seemingly unaware, but she still wasn't sure of me and her guard was up. She was flashing her teeth, she was barking and she was attempting to look scary. Sensing her tactics I remained calm, motionless and fearless. This earned me even more trust. When her nose touched my jeans I knew that I had a chance at rehabbing her.
Fast forward only a few minutes and I had her leashed and we were trotting around the apartment.... then we trotted down the stairs... All of a sudden we’re doing wind sprints down a back alley in China Town.
My goal was to burn off a ton of Lucky’s energy as quickly as possible to take her edge off (poor girl hadn’t had a walk in years). Thankfully for me she could barely take a fourth sprint... both of us slowly walked back to the apartment to meet her owner.
The rest of the session played out smoothly... it ended with her owner successfully leashing her, walking her up and down the stairs of his apartment multiple times, and taking her for a nice walk.
I’m so grateful that I didn’t apply my prejudice to this case before taking it on. Any time you have an opportunity to meet a ‘master’ in his art, I highly encourage it. His grace and his attentiveness to the detail in the present moment were unlike anything I have ever witnessed. This allowed him to observe my dog handling methods and pick up on the nuances of what was truly happening. Most impressive, however, was his humility and gratitude.
Dogs are a very cool species... they’re only capable of living in the present. I truly think that my client’s open mind and exceptional ability to adapt to the present moment was Lucky’s saving grace.
Reader Comments (2)
Speaking from experience ... Jesse is brilliant!
The expression "When the student is ready, the teacher appears" is so meaningful. Great for everyone involved that you were the teacher..