| I'm a professional dog trainer. I don't ordinarily believe | | | | am the leader and his pulling on the lead is merely |
| in the mystical or magical. But I realize that when I do | | | | taken as the appropriate inquiry, "Are you the leader |
| my job well, I'm not being driven by human logic or | | | | or am I?" I give a short snap on the leash, which |
| some textbook knowledge. I realize that my many | | | | brings him back to my heel and in his world, I have |
| years of working with dogs has taught me to be | | | | politely answered, " Thank you for asking, I am the |
| able to cast aside my human limitations and for the | | | | leader." This question may be asked and answered |
| moments of our human/canine interaction, I can hear | | | | several times in sundry ways during our interaction. |
| and understand and become one with the world | | | | We are having a rich and wordless conversation that |
| inhabited by dogs. Let me try to explain. I've learned | | | | goes to the essence of all that needs to be known in |
| the world of dogs is a Zen like place somewhat | | | | this particular moment. This conversation is fluid, |
| counter-intuitive to humans. There is no such thing as | | | | dynamic and constantly ongoing. An undirected stare, |
| time but rather a flow of events that predictably | | | | a paw placed on top of my foot, a lazy yawn can all |
| cascades through the dog's world. Breakfast is not at | | | | be part of a rich language that is pregnant with |
| 7 am in a dog's world. Breakfast is that slice of life | | | | meaning and content. Being human, I dwell on past |
| that follows the sunrise and the birds chirping and | | | | victories and defeats. I plan and scheme. I brood |
| master rustling about in the food bin accompanied by | | | | sometimes. A dog does none of this for all of "this" is |
| the smell of his morning coffee. Although this | | | | a moment that will change in another moment like |
| happens at 7 am for master, this happens in the | | | | the breath going in and out. Dogs only care about |
| dogs mind as a familiar routine that could better be | | | | now and when I hear their owners bemoan past |
| called an association. My dog and I both know when | | | | behaviors and challenge me to "correct" their dog's |
| it's breakfast time but it's an illusion to think we both | | | | behavior, I smile knowingly at my canine pupil and |
| tell time. When I walk a dog I put her at heel. If she's | | | | understand that in this moment there are a universe |
| an untrained dog or simply unfamiliar with me | | | | of possibilities that we shall discuss and act upon. |
| personally, she will probably pull and wander at first. | | | | Yesterday, as I was browsing a magazine and my |
| My human logic would tell me that she wants to be | | | | dog Zoe was laying by my chair curled up like a giant |
| free and run and sniff the grass and bound through | | | | question mark, I came across an interesting |
| fields like a free spirit. That's what I would desire | | | | advertisement. It was offering a forty-five minute |
| were I on four young legs and equipped with a nose | | | | video on meditation and the difficult practice of |
| that could smell and sense unimagined sectors of the | | | | "letting go and living in the moment". I laughed out |
| world that merely blow by my human nose like | | | | loud when I read the exorbitant price for this vehicle |
| chards of sand in a dust storm. But I'd be wrong to | | | | to peace and tranquility. I then returned the magazine |
| think my dog thinks like me. My dog knows there is a | | | | to its rack and the sound of my laugh caused Zoe to |
| natural order to the universe and between us we | | | | sit up. I thought to myself that perhaps the reader |
| shall chat and determine our personal fit. In going on | | | | of this magazine could find better fulfillment if they |
| this walk together, it must be determined whom shall | | | | merely owned and learned from a dog. I'm sure it |
| lead and who shall follow. In my dog's world there is | | | | was my imagination, but it appeared, Zoe winked at |
| no democracy. In my dog's world, his pack cannot | | | | me before lying back down and rolling over. |
| stop to debate or take a vote as to what action | | | | Dog Training advice and informative articles may be |
| shall be taken when a prey animal is darting across | | | | found at Perfect Manners Dog Training website. |
| their path. Were such decisions up for a vote, his | | | | Sandy is ranked among the top dog training experts |
| pack would surely die. When I am in a dog's world, I | | | | in metro Chicago. |