Posts Tagged ‘dogs’
Can a person ever change?
“Can I person ever change?” That question was posed several times, stated in a number of various ways, during meetings I held with one of my clients last week. The majority of these 30 managers are seasoned and they all care a lot about their employees. They also take their role very seriously. They have…
Read MoreYou can be threatening or calming
“You have a choice: you can be threatening or calming.” That’s what I read in an enlightening book entitled “On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals,” by Turid Rugaas. The author talks about our relationships with dogs, and of course, I also see the applications between manager and employee. Rugaas talks about how frequently we,…
Read MorePestered into action
Have you ever been pestered enough that you do something that you wouldn’t ordinarily do? That just happened to me. For the last 30 minutes while trying to work, Grace has been whining and pawing at my chair. It’s almost an hour before her normal dinner time. And sometimes she does get antsy when it…
Read MoreOtter tales
I can easily find connections between what happens with Grace and what happens in everyday human interactions. But my awareness doesn’t always stop with her. Nature is a wonderland for learning efficient and effective communication skills. Grace and I went for a walk this past Sunday morning. I chose a trail we’ve been on before,…
Read MoreDidn’t I already tell you that?
Does the following statement sound familiar: “I have specifically told him not to do that, but yet he still does it. It drives me crazy.” Or this one: “I know we’ve talked about that. And she said she understood. Yet just this morning, I witnessed her doing the same thing without making the changes…
Read MoreThe proverbial backbone: having the courage to speak and listen openly to others
Tomorrow morning Grace and I are leaving at the crack of dawn (she doesn’t know this yet) and drive two hours west. We’re going to meet a dog chiropractor and have her evaluate Grace. Mind you, I’m not even sure what, if anything is wrong with Grace. I know most people would (and will) think…
Read MoreVacation time offers opportunity to see the big picture of “performance”
A couple of people have asked me how Grace did while we were away on vacation. We have often left Grace with two different families, good friends who are really great with Grace, but this time was a little different. First it was longer; this would be two weeks and while there was one time…
Read MoreHurricane Irene and the Temperament Test
Irene is fast approaching. By the time a hurricane reaches New England, it usually doesn’t amount to much. But forecasters are calling this one historic. Taking into account the size of this storm, coupled with her wind speed, she’s BIG. My husband and I have been planning an upcoming vacation and we had lined up…
Read MoreWho are you? (with a fresh view)
In my last post, I talked about the importance of understanding a person by asking the question: “Who are you?” A fellow blogger, Sara, offered this comment, “I would be interested to hear how Grace and you define the answer.” It was a simple statement, but really sunk in for me. Sara had held me…
Read MoreWho are you?
I’m still reviewing and processing all the information I learned at Suzanne Clothier’s recent workshop on fearful dogs. The lessons most certainly apply to all dogs – and people. apply for signature loan She suggests that there are elemental questions that we should ask a dog when interacting with her. The first of those questions…
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