Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt

‘Hamish Macbeth’
Photo By A.M. Moscoso

Until a few years ago, I was all about forging ahead, making my mark holding myself to impossible if not brutal standards in how I looked, where I should be in life.

If I missed that mark, I ticked off one of my failures after another and beat myself down to a bloody pool of yuck.

Then I get my dog.

I found out that people weren’t snapping their dogs at the end of their leashes to get them to pay attention. They didn’t scold dogs for making mistakes- every chance you had was a teachable moment with your dog.

A good, non-stressful teachable moment

Teaching with kindness and patience had made it’s way into the world of Dog Obedience.

Hamish has never been screamed at, never had a rolled up newspaper landed across his backside or muzzle, he’s never been yanked by his collar or had an angry face pushed into his own when he couldn’t figure out a command.

How did that work out for us?

Hamish Macbeth is one of the happiest creatures I have ever known.

He likes to meet people, he likes to explore and when he’s surprised by a loud noise or an angry dog or he can’t have that  candy bar or rotten cheeseburger someone threw out of their window he’s the same happy dog he was when he woke up in the morning.

Hamish Macbeth hits those bumps in the road the way we all do and lands on all four paws, wags his tail in a circle and goes in search of the next big moment.

I’m hoping that as Hamish and I work on his lessons I’ll start learning what he’s learned.

He’s a good dog.

And a wonderful teacher.

amm