I have always been a strong believer in “everything happens for a
reason”, especially when logical and rational reasons are not
apparent. Why else after moving to Wisconsin with no thoughts of
becoming a professional pet sitter, would the universe have connected
me with Lori and then subsequently with the energies of a 1 year old
Sheltie who has helped me discover a renewed sense of purpose after
becoming an empty nester.
As a rescue, Aidan came to his new forever home with numerous anxiety
disorders, one of which is his inability to lay quietly, but instead
paces from one reflective surface to another while inside and running
from one side of the yard to another barking at every scent, sight and
sound outside. So when the opportunity to sit him and his two
“sister” Shelties while mom and dad were on vacation presented itself,
I was very excited about the challenge to help Aidan discover a more
peaceful way to enjoy his new home.
While I have always been around dogs and cats, it was my experience as
a teenager raising horses and steers for show that taught me how calm,
confident behavior was most effective when expecting the same reaction
from my livestock sized pets. Coupled with the fairly new teachings
from, Caesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, I was hopeful I could help
Aidan be a more balanced pup, hopefully sooner rather than later.
To the delights of many, but most of all me, day after day he made
wonderful progress in demonstrating and experiencing calm, peaceful
states of mind, each episode longer than the next. Occupying him with
challenging, instinctual activities, like walking, foraging and
chewing were essential in his self-discovery of quiet time.
Redirecting and averting his manic moments were equally as effective.
Our time together reminded me of my daughter’s toddler and preschool
years because as her teacher, it was always a challenge to stay one
step ahead of her to avoid unwanted behavior.
While I still see Aidan on a weekly basis, I miss our daily
discoveries together as we had experienced them frequently during his
human parent’s vacation. So when he and I had a moment recently it
was especially gratifying. We (all three Shelties and me) were
soaking up the sun in the backyard sitting in a circle savoring ice
water and ice cubes. After quenching our thirst, we were just
relaxing, watching the wildlife and smelling what the wind brought our
way. Aidan was sitting at my side, when I felt his little paw come
softly down on my arm and I when I glanced his direction he was
already staring at me. We sat looking into each other’s eyes,
connecting on a new level, appreciating one another differently. The
human mother in me could not resist scooping him up in my arms then
lying down on my back with him sitting on top of me.
It was a gentle, loving moment as we continued to look at one another,
with me stroking his head as he laid his head down not four inches
from my face. It was a precious moment I will never forget, because
he had achieved a sense of peace and relaxation quite seemingly on his
own. Holding him, I rolled us both over on our sides, spooning, as it
were, just being, existing in this small space, in that one quiet
moment. Then as quickly as it began, it ended, as he squirmed away
and found the next newest thing. But in that brie moment of treasure,
I realized I had found something new yet still very familiar.
A sense of joy and accomplishment for having made a positive
difference in another being’s welfare. Albeit “just” a dog to most,
but not to me because Aidan has been an unexpected gift of my own
self- discovery to a new path of joyous, rewarding work. So once
again, while the teacher is leading, the student is doing the real
teaching.
