Nancy and Bruce: Personal Story of Transformation
Learning to Dance
(This is a guest blog by Nancy Flynn)
My dog Bruce is amazing. I know in my heart that he is a very talented dog. If you can’t see clearly that my dog is top notch, it’s because I may be obscuring the view.
He may not be an easy dog, but trust me, he’s a great one.
…And then there’s me.
Staying calm, focused and unemotional are states of being that I have to work on every time I take my dog to sheep. I get impatient and frustrated when things don’t go well. I love my dog, but I think dark thoughts about him in the heat of these moments – and I don’t like it.
This partnering, training, clarity thing — it does not come naturally to me.
The tricky thing about training sheepdogs is that it LOOKS like a combination of mechanical skills and natural ability, all brought under command by a talented trainer. What it really IS, as it turns out, is a combination of partnership, collaboration and commitment to the process. Even the person who won the National Finals last year has described his relationship with his top dog as “similar to a good marriage”.
So the good news, for me, is that I WANT to partner and collaborate and commit and be clear. I’m certain that my dog wants this too. I have seen abundant evidence of this every time we have been able to bring these qualities to our sessions on sheep. Enter my friend Kathy Kawalec and the 5Cs.
I have found that if my dog and I listen to each other, our partnership will be stronger and we’ll have more success.
The 5Cs have given me a guide to focusing on the important aspects of work with my dog. I have changed my perspective from commanding my dog to focusing on communicating with my dog. I can see how being clear about what I want, with great timing and proper tone, can make all the difference to both of us. I have renewed my commitment (and enthusiasm) to a process that allows for learning on both our parts…and a vow to stop and take a breath when frustration shows it’s ugly face.
I have found that if we listen to each other, our partnership will be stronger and we’ll have more success. (now, when Bruce doesn’t take a cue, I am more inclined to reassess my sheep and situation rather than to demand blind obedience – not 100% on this but it’s a work in progress).
The 5Cs have given me a guide for how I want to be with my dog, whether it’s training in my field or competing at a trial. I must stay calm and focused in order to clearly communicate the objective of the work and execute the task with competence. The reviews are in: we are having a lot of fun in our work. And this great dog of mine is doing great work with me.
I was ready for a methodology that could take my mind off of the dog I didn’t have and put my heart into the dog I do have.
Kathy’s gift for communicating a great method has given me a wonderful road map for building a better partnership with my dog. Lest you think that the 5Cs are a cure for impatience and frustration – don’t go nominating Kathy for the Nobel Prize just yet. I am not cured, but I AM using the 5Cs to change my approach to my training, my dog and myself. With Kathy’s help, I was ready for a methodology that could take my mind off of the dog I didn’t have and put my heart into the dog I do have.
I used to think that training a sheepdog was about having a dog that would do what you said when you said it. Turns out it’s about creating a champion working partnership with a partner that trusts you to ‘lead the dance’. I now know that my dog and I can have a great partnership.
Nancy Flynn lives in northwest Indiana on a small farm, raising sheep, hay and dancing with her dogs. http://shepherdanalytics.shutterfly.com
Photos courtesy of HCookPhotos.com
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