These days we are all looking for ways to get things done. Our to-do list is never ending and on our quest for reaching our goals, we have overlooked the joy of the journey. How does this affect our dogs? Our dogs are often seen as family members, but if you look at the evolution of the family, and more importantly the children in the family, we might see a striking similarity.
Many families today are managed, and on schedule. There are many after school activities, with most of these being attended to by adults. Whether a parent or a teacher supervises them, there is an adult present. There seems to be less and less down time for the kids, and the schedule is often written in stone. I might be speaking for all baby boomers when I lament the passing of the game of baseball played in the local park, with stones being used for bases and the illumination of the street lights indicating it is time to go home. It has been many years since I have seen a group of skipping, playing hopscotch or building a tree fort without parents around.
Our dogs are the same. Not that I am saying our dogs should run free, but the number of dogs that are expected to be doing something, or that are constantly directed by their people is on the rise. If you visit friends with a dog, it seems to be a battle to have that dog go and lie down, and be seen but not heard.
The mico-management of dogs seems to have become popular. We all want our dogs to watch us, to heel correctly when going down the sidewalk, to not sniff at other dogs and to be ready for our next command. In fact, there are many dogs that are not able to simply hang out in the house, doing nothing, without being put away in a crate. That is a shame. Some dogs are put away into a crate, and brought out to train and put back in. Many family pets live their lives this way, because their people have not taught them the art of doing nothing.
A dog trainer saying a dog should do nothing? Actually, yes. I love training dogs, and love doing dog sports and activities, but once my canine pack and I are in the house for the evening, I prefer that they all simply chill out. It can be hard to accomplish this, as a lot of our interactions with our dogs actually increase the attention they require, but it is do-able.
You can set up your home to be a sanctuary for all of you. This means, no ball playing or overly active behaviors in the house. I don’t have any kids, but I am fairly sure that if I did, I would not have a basketball hoop in the living room. Dogs, like kids, need quiet activities to keep them occupied while indoors. For dogs, this is usually a chew bone of some description. By keeping the home peaceful, you will indicate to your dog that this is the norm. Of course, you should take him outside for a game of fetch or Frisbee, which is the fun of having a dog.
Believe it or not, the word “stress” is often kicked around amongst the dog owners these days, and they are not referring to how they feel if their pup has piddled on the new carpet. It is in reference to their dogs. Stress can indeed be a factor in dog behavior, and it is most definitely on the rise. Perhaps modifying things to a more simple approach, a more Zen-like attitude, will improve things and help to keep our hyperactive canine friends well balanced and relaxed.
One of the most used words in my house is “go”. This means the dogs need to go somewhere else, not be at my feet constantly. This also means that they will go to their mats and lie down with their chew bone quietly. It is not the same as putting them on their mats and saying the word “stay”. If you do that, it means you are doing the opposite of nothing. You will have to maintain the stay, and keep an eye on your dog. If he gets up, you will be obligated to ask him to lie down again, and the cycle will continue. If you say, “go”, there is no follow up once the initial training of the word has been done. To teach it is simple. Put a leash on your dog in the house. As you sit on your couch, and your dog pushes in to you, nicely say, “go” and take his leash. Stand up and with the same hand holding the leash, motion for him to go away from you. The leash will help direct him to nowhere in particular, just not at your feet. He will be confused at first, but it is a fabulous household word.
We have forsaken a hike in the woods, with our dogs running like the wind ahead of us, for training walks. Don’t get me wrong, I think all dogs should be trained, and I love advanced training and dog sports, but what are we eventually training them for? Many people train only for dog sports and interact only on a training level with their dogs. They come out of the crate, get trained, and go back into the crate. I’m sure these dogs do very well at what they are being trained for, but would give you a bigger thank you for a long hike.
There is nothing I find more satisfying as a dog owner than seeing my dogs run full speed in the park. Running for the sheer joy of running, and dogs do it best. They aren’t “doing” anything. The training will come in when a bike comes along the path and we call out “stay” or “come”. We have trained for that moment, but the rest of the time they are not managed or instructed. They are always in our sight, of course, but are free to sniff in the brush, and feel the breeze on their faces. There is no one telling them to “watch” or even telling them to bring back the ball.
The art of doing nothing also comes into play when dogs accompany you on your everyday outings. When stopping to speak to someone on the street, your dog should know that he must stop and sit or at least not be the centre of conversation. By teaching him to relax and stay put when you stop, you have taught him to do nothing. He doesn’t have to sit and stay, he can stand. The only rule is that he should not pull or be disruptive.
Multi tasking is the name of the game for the human race these days, and we are sure to be known as the age of distraction. So, while I love to hear our students clicking for attention, the idea of attending to them forever needs to be re-examined. Our dogs need to just be with us, hanging out, soaking up a few rays on the deck. In fact, we should take a lesson from that and join them.
0 Comments for "The Art of Doing Nothing"