“That’s a Well-Trained Dog.”
Lukas and I recently encountered a jogger on our morning walk. We have a routine we follow as soon as a jogger, small child or dog comes toward us - Lukas and I go to the side of the trail where he’ll sit as we lock eyes. Then I shower him with praise and treats. Today, when the jogger approached, everything went according to plan….
…until the runner passed and said, “He’s a really well-trained dog.”
And that’s when I heard Lukas chuckle and say “yeah, thanks, but let’s consider who really trained whom.”
His comment made me stop mid-thank-you. I realized Lukas was right! (like, when isn’t he??) We did work together on this routine! His behavior wasn’t a result of me being one-sided, telling him what to do and how to do it. He’s not a machine! Together, WE figured out how we can best enjoy our walks.
I will say as a side note that me feeling comfortable walking him is a big deal. He’s a former sled dog from Alaska. He strong, powerful and built for speed. He is part Pointer, part Husky and even part Greyhound. He’s used to running off-leash and getting in an easy 6 miles to my 3 miles every day as he darted forward and backward on the trails and among the moose. But that was in Alaska. Now we live in a city in Michigan where there is a lot of traffic, chase-able deer and leash laws. And not to mention that he broke my leg a few years ago. Walking, these days, is just different.
The first thing we learned about walking here is that with all of the squirrels, it’s like running the gantlet. I never know when one of those little tail-swishing, chattery things is going to pop out, right in Luka's’ line of sight and taunt him. Lukas responds to their dare by going from a dead standstill to a Usain Bolt move at 60mph - taking about 1 nanosecond of time and my shoulder out of its socket. This resulted in me getting upset at him and getting increasingly scared on walks. Finally after weeks of trying to train him, I was exasperated and sore. I asked him how we could walk among the squirrels unscathed. He showed me an image of a very large dog treat. And while my husband hates giving Lukas treats when we walk, Lukas insisted it would work. I believed him. It took a few days but now, I can say his name or “look at me” and he easily turns his focus to me while the squirrels (and other potential “lures”) scamper away none the wiser.
We also worked on feeling safe while letting both of us have room to explore the trail. Getting used to walking on a 6’ leash was painful! He loves showing animal communication students how good he is at running. And I love watching him run; he’s so beautiful in motion. But knowing off leash isn’t a safe option here, Lukas showed me a longer leash that I used with previous dogs of mine. So I bought a 30’ training leash and that has made all the difference for our hikes! He can peruse about and go into the brush to sniff while I stop and take a pictures.
“Training” is one of the many things I am thankful for as a Soul Level Animal Communicator®. The ability to collaborate on what we both need deepens our bond and increases our trust in each other. Lukas did, indeed, train me well!
Our routine when joggers, dogs, people with kids need to pass us. Lukas is a good boy!! And he’s trained me well.