Our Prey Drive... Haven't we outgrown that?

A long time ago my dad taught me that I can actually control my instincts... and if I do, I can savour the moment and enjoy what nature has to offer.  And I'll be darned...  it's so much more relaxing when I remember to do so.

The first lesson he taught me was that I'll never catch those crazy tree monkeys so there's no bother in trying.  If my dad had me on a leash and I happened to see one, I'd pull him so hard that sometimes I got a stiff neck.  If I was lucky enough to be unleashed, I'd chase after the little bugger... only to lose it behind a tree. They always seemed to vanish... every single time.  Tree monkeys can drive a dog crazy!

Then one day my dad and I were walking and he stopped us on a tiny hill in the park.  I liked this spot because it I could see further into the distance from here.  It took me a while to realize it, but he was showing me where a bunch of tree monkeys hung out.

My dad made me 'sit'... then lie 'down'... then 'stay'.  We stayed there for 15 minutes but I didn't mind at all because we just watched the tree monkeys do their thing.  They didn't seem to want to run away... I think it's because we didn't seem like a threat to them.  In fact, every now and then they stopped to look back at us.   They're such weird looking creatures but they're very fun to watch.

I especially loved how my dad was rubbing my head and back the whole time we watched them!  He told me I was a very good girl, and I love it when he says that.

This story reminds me of a video of a dog, a cat and rat... all best friends...

Dad... if you're reading this... do you think mom will let us get a cat and a rat?  I promise I'll take care of them.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D85yrIgA4Nk]

My walk to work

There were two things I loved about my walk to work today...

Firstly, there was a whole bunch of fresh fluffy white stuff everywhere.  That stuff feels so nice on your paws.... and there's just something magical about rummaging my face through it.  I learned a long time ago that the fluffy white stuff turns into cold water, so sometimes I eat it... but only if it's fresh.

The second thing I loved about my walk to work today is that every single house took their smelly bins out to the sidewalk.  There's so much good food in those bins... humans are silly to let it all go to waste.

I also noticed that the humans put those sharp salty smelling things on the sidewalk so I'm not expecting any fresh white stuff to be there on my walk home... but I'm always hopeful.

Sniff Sniff

I think that one of the reasons why children are able to connect so strongly with dogs is because they are quite naturally highly ‘aware’.  Their unconscious minds are in the process of developing so they still pay attention to the myriad of things happening in their universe... in this very moment... just like dogs.

Take a simple game like blowing bubbles... This is so incredibly fascinating for children. An observer of this game might notice that children are capable of focussing on all the bubbles at once... or simply a single bubble as it floats around through the air.  And most astonishingly, they do this for more than just a few seconds...  In this scenario, children are truly living in the moment.  They’re tuned in...their level of awareness is very high.

I offer this analogy because this how I imagine a dog absorbs his information when he’s sniffing.  The fragrances and scents might flutter through the air... or carry in a breeze...or freeze in snow and gradually release as it melts.  A fragrance of decay might permeate through the soil... I imagine all of this is quite similar to floating bubbles from a child’s point of view.  This is why your dog’s nose is always moving, hovering, and collecting information.

Getting inside the mind of your dog is well worth the effort.  A glimpse at the world from his point of view allows you to be more compassionate to his needs.  Insight into his point of view will allow you to lead him more effectively... with less effort... with more trust...and with better results.

At my doggie daycare when we do our ‘mental stimulation’, we always incorporate the scent of the reward to enhance their level of focus on us.