Ok, so if you aren't into dog sports - don't read this.
Actually, if you are into dog sports - don't read this.
These are just some thoughts I have had the last couple weeks.
So, I have been thinking about speed and enthusiasm. Well, I recently got a new job at work. They are letting me use a new piece of equipment that is made of glass (!!) and it costs $100,000.00 (!!). If you drop it, it's done for. Oh, yeah and this equipment is something you carry around. It also replaces a system that I have used for the last 10 years. TEN YEARS. That's a lot of muscle memory. Before, I could do my job with my eyes closed (shhh, I only did it a couple of times!). Now I have to THINK all the time about what I'm doing. What I will do next. Am I doing it right? And I am SLOW. So, so terribly slow. However, if someone tries to rush me? I get even slower! Because? I want to think. I have to think. I don't want to mess up and there is someone (for example, a patient in pain or a coworker with another patient) pushing me to go faster, but it only makes me 1-go slower and 2- get upset.
But every day that I work with the equipment - I am getting faster. My attitude is improving. The more comfortable I get the happier and faster I go.
Can you see where I'm going with this story?
After having to learn something new, I have a enormous, huge, great sympathy for Tibby. I can not expect her to be fast when she is just starting to learn agility. The more I push her, the slower she will go. AND THAT IS REASONABLE. It is a normal response to something new and difficult.
So if you want to understand what it's like to be a dog (sort of LOL!) try to learn something new. And not something low stress, like painting in your own house. Something where someone is watching you and pushing you to go faster, like an exercise class or bagging groceries (that looks pretty stressful to me!). It's amazing to see how the other side of your team feels.
