Inspiring Management Tips
A gentle leader approach
It was truly much easier than I expected. I’m referring to my new walking regiment with Grace. As noted in my last post, I made a commitment to have Grace comply with my walking standards instead of hers. Rather than having her skip along in front of me, I asked her to walk beside me….
Even walking requires leadership
Grace is very vocal when she wants something. It’s obvious when it’s mealtime or when she wants to sun herself on the deck. She is very explicit in her requests, using her voice (persistent whining) and body (sits in front of me, scratches her paw on me, jumps around if the first two don’t work)…
“Change starts with myself”
Grace really thinks that everyone—any dog, any cat, any human—should make adjustments to her needs. I know that comes from a lack of confidence and we continue to work on that, and in many ways it is endearing. She only wants to know we love her – more than we love her feline brothers, for…
Courage comes in many shapes and sizes
Curling up for a peaceful nap with a friendly companion in a comfy bed doesn’t conjure up images of a courageous act. But those of you who have read previous posts about Grace’s aversion to children, you know differently. It takes a ton of courage–a major leap of faith that the small person snuggled up…
Saying the right thing at the right time in the right way
Ever tried to reprimand a headstrong cat? It’s actually quite comical. Depending on the cat’s interest to comply (usually low) and the actual distance you happen to be from the offender at the time of the infraction (if you’re close, better; if you’re far away, forget it), it’s an entertaining, but usually futile exercise. Grace…
How much focus do you need to get what you want?
Focus. No distractions. Having all your attention on something—it’s a good thing. Until you lose your focus. That’s what happened to me at agility last week. And I didn’t even realize it until a fellow classmate, Patricia, recognized it had happened to both of us. I loved our class last week. It turned out that…
When someone does something rude, what should you do? Try compassion.
When I first got Grace, we lived next door to a wonderful couple that loved dogs. Kitty and Kevin welcomed Grace unconditionally and went to extraordinary measures to show her that. To say Grace was timid would be grossly understated. Anytime anyone came around, she would cower, bark, and/or hide. So Kevin felt the best…
Learning takes time and can be scary, especially when you are supposed to know what you are doing!
When Grace and I entered our agility class last week, it immediately hit me that learning takes time, repetition, and patience. I was walking around the agility room in familiar territory, feeling good about that. Yet I was simultaneously starting to worry if Grace and I would do well – or would we falter? Would…
It’s sNOw April Fool’s Joke!
The weather forecasters prepared us for this. But Grace didn’t see it coming. The look on her face this morning as she exited the door was like: “Come on. You-have-got-to-be-kidding-me. Enough of this!” But like any good trooper, she persevered and made the best of it while we were out. She even had a little…
Going through a tunnel can lead to success
The jumps are so easy for Grace. She looks like a ballerina effortlessly springing over the hurdles. She knows it, too. She’ll leap over the bar whenever she even gets close to a jump, whether I say “Jump!” or not. It’s fun for her and she’s good at it. Returning to agility class last Friday…
