MINDFUL NOT MIND FULL SERIES - "Getting Past the Hocus Pocus, Woo Woo and Doing it For the Dogs"

Watching this year's IACP Conference virtually from a couch while ill brought about both a sense of sadness and frustration. Sadness because I missed a number of colleagues that have become really good friends and frustration because many of the discussions and presentations wandered into the realm of what the Pro Dog Trainer Mindset is all about... and I wasn't able to be there.

This has become a passion project for me and one I believe can fundamentally change a person in our industry. One of the threads weaved into many of the topics was working on "the self." I loved that and since The Pro Dog Trainer Mindset is all about focusing on the individual I figured let's expound a bit on one of the initial topics.

“Attention and the Now” is the first element I teach on Mindfulness in a course that I tailored to dog pros. It guides a professional in understanding and building a mindfulness practice as part of a comprehensive mindset shift. Studies continue to show how mindfulness can have a positive impact on health and well-being. It doesn’t have to be a bunch of esoteric voodoo spiritual mumbo jumbo… it can simply be a good practical skill set to develop and use daily to to have a positive impact on physical, mental and emotional well being.

So why when working with Dog Pros do we focus on attention first?

Very simply, focusing on the present moment is the foundation to success in any mindfulness practice AS WELL AS in training dogs.

We always say the most important moment is the present one so if you just messed that one up, you now have this one. Maintaining your attention on “the now” is key when working with dogs.

Let’s dive in…

In dog training and in many of our daily interactions, attention is simply the currency of communication.

In training it's an investment that pays off dividends in the success of the dog-human relationship. A dog's attention is a fragile yet powerful thing. It's not merely a matter of the eyes meeting yours; it's about a mental and emotional connection forged in the present moment. Too much and you could have a dog that won’t think for itself and too little you could have a behavioral liability on 4 legs.

Dogs are masters of mindfulness. They are mostly unburdened by the regrets of yesterday or the worries of tomorrow. When your dog looks into your eyes, it's not just a gaze; it's an acknowledgment of this moment, right now. They are intentional.

However, a dog's attention span is inherently shorter than ours. Depending on a number of factors, their focus can easily shift from a passing squirrel to checking pee mail on the tree and then to the neighbor's kid rushing by on a bike. As the human and advocate for the species, your task is to be able to capture and maintain their attention when needed amidst a world filled with distractions. To do this, you must learn to embody the now, to be fully present in your training sessions.

In the realm of dog training, the concept of 'now' is not an abstract concept; it's a guiding principle and it’s required. When you are fully present in the moment, your intention is clear—you are calm, centered, and inviting. Dogs are astute at reading these subtle shifts. When your phone goes off and that shifts your consciousness… the dog knows. They respond not just to your words and actions, but your emotional state and current focus.

Imagine you're teaching a dog to walk on a loose leash. In this moment, nothing else matters. Not the email you need to reply to, not the argument you had earlier in the day. Just moving with the dog and the dog moving with you. When you bring your complete awareness to the task, your dog senses it. What you say along with how you say it through your body language, tone of voice, and a myriad of other minute signals like your breathing and even the intensity of the grip on the leash become signals to the dog. The dog reading you as canines have done for thousands of years, becomes present, intentional and syncs with the human.

In lessons I will often refer to training a dog to walk on a lead as a dance (which is hilarious if you have ever seen me dance).  Dancing is simply a rhythmic flow of communication and response in the present moment. Each step is taken mindfully, with purpose and clarity. So when your dog is learning the concept of walking on a lead and your dog's attention wavers, it's not a defiance of your authority; it's a call for you to recenter, reset and to bring both you both back to the now.

When you redirect a dog's attention on a walk, you're not just asking them to look at you... you're inviting them to dance. The connection between dogs and humans is unlike any other species on the planet. You're saying, "Let's be here together. Let's share this moment.”

You owe it to your dog. After all, both of our ancestors have coevolved together to establish this connection and the modern world does its best to undermine it… don’t let it.

As a dog trainer, cultivating your own mindfulness is paramount. Your ability to be present influences the depth of the connection you form with any dog or human you work or live with.

Practice mindfulness in your daily life. At a minimum take moments to simply breathe, to observe the world without judgment, to listen to the sounds around you. These practices not only enhance your patience but also sharpen your ability to be in the now, a skill that translates seamlessly into your interactions with all of the dogs you work with.

In summary, attention and the now are not abstract concepts but foundations that can shape every interaction with the dogs and the people we share our lives with. Embrace the present moment, understand and respect your dog's attention, and together, you'll embark on a journey where words become unnecessary, and understanding transcends the barriers of species.