We live in a world where many people see puppies as two dimensional beings, meaning length and breadth but no depth. Kind of like an input/output machine of sorts, if something is asked of a puppy, then the puppy responds accordingly, without conflict, reservation, or opinion.
But boy oh boy, when a puppy reminds their person that they are in fact living, sentient beings, they have dreams, thoughts, ideas, and opinions all their own, and that they are in fact part of the canine species, not the human species, well therein lies the culture clash, and sometimes way more clashier than you might think.
What wait, puppies think independent of their person? Yep, they do.
As a Puppy Classroom Trainer, I don’t feel like I need to walk on egg shells, or tread lightly on this topic, as a matter of fact I dive in, head first, and spell it out. Having a puppy is having a relationship, and relationships are natural, even with another species. With every relationship comes the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the adventures, and the losses. It is passing through life together at this point in time. Kind of super cool if you ask me, and even if you don’t ask me.
But even with the best of understanding, sometimes, just sometimes, Teams need a bit of assistance, Trade Secret #127.
Now look, Forest Fairies have been using Pixie Dust with great success since forever, as well as most everyone’s Grandma on the planet, a bit of magic here and a bit of magic there, and almost always just about the time you really need it. And if you remember Peter Pan, well he was able to fly with the help of a dusting every now and again, and it’s also how Wendy, John, and Michael flew to Neverland with him, so there is that.
So training skills, yes you need them, absolutely, but never underestimate magic, ever. Every Puppy Classroom Trainer will have that one night, just one, where you are out of Pixie Dust and you just really didn’t think you needed it, really, because Peter Pan, come on!?
And in walks your puppies and their people, and the Malinois puppy learned he can scream over the weekend, the Malamute puppy is resource guarding everything because why not go big, the teething Aussie puppy is ripping the floppy bell bottoms off of the owners jeans, the Mini Schnauzer decides to up the Malinois’ scream with yodeling and chirping, and the Labrador puppy is in precocious puberty and trying to obsessively mount the Border Collie Puppy who is trying in turn to rip his face off.
Welcome, lets begin shall we?
You will only have one of those nights early on in your career and then you will learn to order 100% pure FAIRIE PIXIE DUST by the case. Me personally, I like large jars because some nights I only need a light dusting on each Team to spread the magic around, and other nights I need to broadcast the entire jar with hurricane force. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do in order for the puppies to behave magically and the owners to see the magic all around them. And as always, then good work happens.
In reality, skills are nothing without a bit of magic all around – Nancy
photo credits – JESSICA DUNBAR PHOTOGRAPHY
Nancy Tanner 