Koos dreaming about dog training

A long time ago in a previous lifetime (in college) I waited tables.  And I can’t tell you how many times I would have nightmares of being “in the weeds” or wake up realizing that I never brought ketchup to table 14.  (For those of you who have ever worked in the restaurant world, you know what I am talking about.)  You live and breath waiting tables so much that you have dreams (read: nightmares) about it.  And of course on the flip side, when something fun and exciting has your life immersed you often dream of that too.  The third time I was in France I actually spoke the language and tried to dive head first into the culture.  And what happened?  My friends told me I was talking in French in my sleep.  So my question is, are dogs (or any other animals) any different?  Not that there are French speaking, sleep walking dogs, but if a dog missed the chance to chase the squirrel in the yard earlier, is that why he’s running in his sleep?

Animal behavior is something that has always fascinated me.  And my personal opinion is people don’t give animals enough credit for their intelligence, emotions, or learning ability.  With advances such as clicker training and positive reinforcement methods, training has become so much more humane than previous years.  Although, not everyone uses this style (yet), many, many people have seen just how easy, fast, and fun clicker training can be.  I have personally trained dogs, cats, ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, and fish; and have professionally worked with an array of other small animals, reptiles, amphibians,  and insects.  And if I’m going to be totally honest here, I didn’t give half the animals I have worked with the credit they deserved when I first started working with them. Thankfully, I had my eyes opened and was able to see each of their personalities over time.

So today I invite you to think about your pet’s little quirks that makes him who he is.  What makes him special?  What sets him apart from the others?  I know my dog loves training.  And I’d like to believe he dreams about it.  He wags his tail, twitches his body, and acts like he’s eating something (a treat maybe?).

My name is Jules Nye, and I’ll be your host.  (Since I own this blog.)  So until next time, sweet dreams!

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