Dancing with La Bamba has always been fun, but dancing the duo, Lyric and Rusty, well that's just a blast.
It's been a while since I last had time to post. With my two crazy herding dogs, I've been trying to really enjoy my time with them. What a special pair they are.
Rusty is still my number one Aussie. He continues to make me laugh at his antics and I never grow weary of the fact that he's excited that I'm home. Whether I've been gone to work for many hours, or simply out to the garage for ten, he'll greet me with a wiggle that just begs to boogie.
Lyric has stolen my heart in a way I never knew she could. Her sweet disposition can melt my heart any time she pleases. The mix of her sweetness and her fire heart drive. Well to say the least, it keeps me hopping! When doing agility she's yelling at me and spinning out, but all snuggled up, she's giving me those eyes...
It's been a challenge having a new addition to the family. It's not because of dynamics. Rikki and Rusty are the perfect pair. The hard part is that I have trained Rusty to do so many things, and quite frankly, Lyric is behind. I know for a fact that she could do much more than she does. But a new lesson I have learned with her, that I need to do with Rusty, is that relationship is more important than any training I could ever do.
I see all these students walking through my door. Their dogs will do anything for a cookie. And that's great, they need a motivator. But so many of them are lacking the connection with their dogs. They hardly know how to engage their dog without a treat. But instead of working on this relationship, I have to spout off what's next to learn...with a treat. So many times I wish I could just stop in my tracks and tell them that the reason they're having trouble is because they only want a robot dog who does everything well, instead of a friendship with their dog that conquers all problems. So I try to help and explain the concept of how to get the dog to want YOU not the treat. And I go home exhausted and come face to face with my dogs and my reality.
My dogs - they're border line robots. They're the dogs I'm trying to save at work. And I'm the owner who has no clue. My little duo, the ones who greet me with wiggling bottoms and wagging tails, they want that friendship. And so do I. And so, I open my mind and heart to the possibility that it's ok that I'm not fixing everything they do. I'm realizing that it's ok that lyric is clueless to what amazing tricks Rusty does. And that gives me the fuel I need...
Now I'm ready to get out the treats and train. The strange thing is, that when you come face to face with the reality that friendship is what you really need, all pressure in training is relieved because all you are ultimately working on is friendship.
You can completely fail during your session. You can completely train the wrong behavior. And guess what's left? Time with your dog. Time building that relationship. Working together.
Take the time with your dog to build that relationship, and you just might find that they become one of the smartest dogs you will ever meet.
