Rest In Awareness

A few years ago, I had a foot injury that has been ongoing since.  I've had tons of ups and downs during this time but one thing has always stayed the same: pain.  I am constantly in pain.  It never goes away.  I've learned a lot about dealing and living with it.  Recently, I started looking into different ways to help with pain.  Acupuncture has been an interestingly painful/relieving path that I am exploring.  The gentleman who does my acupuncture has recommended mindful meditation for pain relief.  It's a very intriguing concept.  The theory is that meditation can help you deal with your pain and in a lot of cases, relieve it.

Within the mindful meditation tool box for pain relief, there is a concept called "rest in awareness".  Basically, we naturally try to block pain by not dealing with it or thinking about it.  This happens whether it is physical or emotional.  The thought behind it is that if you are aware of the pain instead of ignoring it that you can better deal with it and maybe even elevate it a bit.  But, you need to do this without dwelling on it.  It is kind of like a positive acceptance.  It makes perfect sense but as most things are, it's hard to practice.  You fall into a zone of letting the pain have a negative effect on everything you do.  Even simple things like taking a shower can be hard.  The worst is not being able to do things that you truly love because of it.  You slowly start to block out other things which can lead to more problems like reactive depression.  Been there done that.

So why write about pain and management on a training blog?  Because oddly, it relates.  The rest in awareness concept can be applied to how we deal with our dogs.  Often, our dogs that we are blessed with have their own troubles to deal with whether it be fear, reactivity, health issues, or whatever else gets thrown their way.  Sometimes, we are too focused on the task at hand, competition, or what other people say, that we get frustrated or stuck with their issues.  Sometimes we even deny that they have an issue or do nothing to address it.  We don't stop and rest with them in awareness.  We don't become aware of who they are or what they are going through.  It starts to become all about what we think they need or what we want.  But if we stop ourselves for a moment and relax with them, it opens the doors to learning.  Instead of worrying about the next task or goal, why don't we take a moment to be with them?  Sit with them, relax with them, and see who they really are.

This is one thing that I did with Oliver before I was emotionally ready to train him.  We would go on walks together, hang out together, and just be together.  We were able to connect on a deep level and learn about each other.  With my other dogs, I did not do this, especially with Harley.  I didn't become aware of who he was or what issues he was going through.  I always intended the best for him but it never really ended up that way until the end of his time with me.  Being more aware of him would have helped us grow as a team and as partners.

Once we become aware of our dog's true issues, we can better help them work through them.  We can also accept the issues and see the dog in a more positive light.  Of course, how one goes about doing this depends on the animal and person.  With Harvey, he loves to be next to me as I relax.  With Oliver, he likes to be outside with me as we watch the world go by.  Dewey tends to like random moments of "Dewey time" which includes rolling on my shoes or sticking his nose in my face.  It's all about relaxing with them and accepting them for who they are... and sometimes having a bit of fun with it too!  I find that making positive quiet time for each one of them is really beneficial whether it's actual meditation or just relaxation.

Being aware can also translate to training.  If I am aware of what my dog is doing or going through, I can better listen to him.  Therefore, I can better adjust my training to meet his needs.  Also, if someone suggests something that isn't suitable for my dog, I can recognize it and move on.  I've noticed that the more Oliver and I play with resting/relaxation at home, our training improves.  Our bond runs deeper which helps me in recognizing what he needs and he also seems to understand me better.  This is really a concept that I would like to leap into for my own physical issues.  I also am going to explore it in-depth with animals.  It certainly will be an interesting journey!

A New Addition

I just realized that it has been almost a year since I wrote anything on this blog. So many things have happened. Last year around this time, my first boy, Harley passed away at age 7 from an aggressive cancer. Losing a beloved partner is always hard, as most know. Sometimes it seems like it is even worse when you lose them at a young age. But in February of this year, I found a little Beagle who was up for adoption. His name was Buddy and for some reason, he stood out among some other dogs up for adoption. I went to look at a number of dogs and saw Buddy last. He was sweet and soft but not very interested in me. Later, I found out that this was because he had eaten a fake plant in the foster home he was staying at. The lady who was fostering him said that he was great with her cats and even would sleep with their pet rabbit. I decided to adopt him since he seemed to be a good fit for apartment life and my husband who hasn't had a dog in a long time. I was so excited that I bought a bowl, toy, leash, and collar before ever knowing that the adoption paperwork had been approved.

The woman from the rescue brought him to my apartment. The cats were not too sure about him but he did not chase them or interfere with them in anyway. The first night, he slept with me in bed, right by my side. During the day, he would cuddle with me on the couch and he loved being outside to take walks. Those first few days were perfect. It was the easiest introduction I've had with a dog or cat for that matter. I decided to change his name to Oliver because Oliver means affectionate. On March 5th, my husband came to the states to finally stay with me. Oliver was perfect again with the change. Ever since, he has been the perfect addition to our home. He is leading me down a new path of understanding and learning. Each day, I learn more from him. He has such a sweet and goofy personality that continues to shine each day. The cats now love him. Oliver often gets attacked by Harvey who thinks that the dog should play with him. We now say that Oliver is Harvey's dog!

Normally, I would have jumped to train such a dog! However, after months of having him, I've just started seriously training him. When we first got him, I found it hard to do so after Harley had passed. I was emotionally stuck and couldn't even attempt training another dog. I slowly got around to training every now and then but never was enthusiastic about it. I had a hard time finding a training center in the area that was reasonably priced. I had an even harder time trying to find a place that uses positive reinforcement. So, our days were filled with walks and car trips. Finally, I got involved with some dog groups on a website that helped me get excited about dog stuff again. I found a website for a training center that offers classes not far from our apartment. I signed up for a class and things are starting to pick up again. I'm much happier and Oliver is always excited to go to class! We are having a blast. I can't wait to see what path Oliver leads me down!