The moments



Life is busy, everyone has got too much on their plates these days.  Often in our busy lives our dogs are left out of time allotment.  What is "time well spent?"  Moments. 

As you all know, I am a watcher; it comes with the territory. I watch dog behavior to help guardians better understand what is going on with their dogs.  That means that I also watch the guardian.  I regularly see people out with their dogs, but they aren't actually their with them.  Their head is somewhere else, work, shopping, paying bills; their body may be attendance but the rest of them is elsewhere.  Not that this doesn't happen to all of us at some time or another but it shouldn't be how we go through life. 

A moment to remember.  Shouldn't our days be filled with moments to remember? 

Yesterday as we rounded the park at the "rabbit" spot, Elsa looked up at me.  Her body tensed, her step became rigid and purposeful and her pupils dilated as she successfully refrained from yanking my arm out of the shoulder socket.  We had a moment.  I let her know how very proud I was of her and we continued as she scanned the perimeter, quite proud of herself. 

The other day I was just about to feed Elsa when I reconsidered the moment.  I placed her food into a glass bowl and we head outside in the sunshine and sat on her blanket. With a spoon I fed her slowly, intentionally waiting between bites.  This was a moment with many benefits:  Switching up the eating routine, changing how she eats by eating off of a spoon, sharing a moment and slowing down the trough type eating. 

Not every moment will make it into the moment memory bank; but each and every one will make our day to day a better place.  If we rush through each day without any moments, we miss out on the things that could be.  

Moments can happen anywhere and anytime of the day.  A moment can be teaching our dog a new behavior, watching them enjoy the warm sun, having a chat during a break from work or just sitting enjoying sitting with each other.  It is all about making that connection, the canine/human connection.   Being there, in the moment. 

"Live in the moment."  This is a common quote; but often forgotten as we rush through our mundane day to day.  To live in the moment we must be in the moment.  That means being with the one you are with in the moment you are in.  Seems simple right? 

Are you seizing your moments with your dog?