We’re doing online training with our adorable puppy Coco and it reinforces our feelings we lucked out and got a great dog. We see and hear the other dogs and their owners on the training and feel fortunate.
One lady was quite frustrated with her puppy and said, “This is not what I signed up for.” My guess is she got a puppy, like a lot of people got dogs, because of the Covid pandemic. I’d bet she thought a puppy/dog would be like her cats (she referenced her cats).
As mentioned, our puppy is very well behaved and I don’t think it’s just luck, or us. One of the trainers we interviewed asked a few questions about our household, the puppy, and our other dog, Dobre, an 11-year-old Lab mix. She said Coco is emulating the older dog, who is laidback. She even emulates him when it comes to chasing tennis balls, which is a lot of fun when they chase the same ball.
A puppy learning from an older dog is like life; it’s great to have a mentor/coach/advisor. It speeds up the learning process and allows us to be more efficient. The most important aspect is having a coach or mentor is to have them to point out what not to do. Been there – done that is a powerful teaching tool.
And while I advise and coach clients, I’m not referring to only business situations. A business owner should be mentoring their employees, helping them grow, even if they grow out of the job. Parents nurture their kids to make them productive adults. Coaches help athletes, dancers, actors, musicians, and more.
Get someone to help when you need it. Be that help when you can.
“In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.” Napoleon Bonaparte
