Walk In…Like A Dog

We’ve all seen them. The dog who runs into every new place, tail up, face smiling. For anyone who has ever been nervous or anxious starting a new job, walking into a party late or stepping up to a start line when competing, this is quite phenomenal.

This dog never expects to be stared at, whispered about or not accepted as “good enough.” And I don’t think she would care if she were. She’s focused on the experience…her experience…and not the other people around her or what they’ll think. Don’t believe me? Watch a young, inexperienced dog who goes off course and zooms around an agility course in competition. She doesn’t care that it’s “not the right thing to do.” She’s all caught up in her own experience and unapologetic for it.

I, on the other hand, have always been the exact opposite of this dog. I was the kid who always hated the first day of school where I had to walk into an unfamiliar classroom of kids. As an adult, I’d hate having to walk into work events such as cocktail parties or networking events, especially when I didn’t know anyone. I’ve always preferred to have a working role at these events, so I have something to do.

And, for years, I’d be nervous at the start line of any agility or obedience competition. Our success rate didn’t matter; I’ve always felt the pressure. Realizing that bystanders really watch the dog and not the handler would help but I would still be quite nervous until we got started.

I developed rituals to calm my nerves and learned how to work through it. And I have always had dogs who walk in like they own the place. Right now, I have a dog who is a little boss-lady at Nosework. Taylor pulls into every search area with the same amount of endless drive. She has become more and more proficient at working search areas without my guidance, and she will search within inches of stewards without giving them a second look. She is completely immersed in the task at hand. And sometimes we do well and sometimes we don’t (at this point the mistakes are usually mine so the experience continues to be humbling).

And watching Taylor has helped me. I realize that she doesn’t care if we leave a hide behind or don’t place—she just wants the opportunity to play the game. We’re able to search in environments that we wouldn’t have access to without competition. And I’m able to walk in with more confidence because I know I just have to set my little boss-lady loose and pay attention while she does her job.

I don’t think I’ll ever go in like Taylor, but I’m happy to follow  my little girl and try to walk in like, well you know…a dog!