Letting go of the leash.

Part 1 of 3

Hello! So happy you are here! I have been thinking about what Dogs & Mindfulness is all about. Here it is: it’s just a beautiful connection between me and my dog that hopefully you find relatable and from the heart…

You can expect heartfelt (and often funny) stories about Blue and me navigating life together, with gentle invitations to practice mindfulness. We publish occasional newsletters—no pressure, just presence.

—These are stories that make you smile.

—These are stories that help you pause.

—This is a meditation practice to bring you back to the present moment, and it’s all inspired by the mindfulness of dogs.

What’s Happening.

Blue and I debated for quite awhile if we were ready to apply for membership with an incredible Therapy Dog team. During the summer of 2024, we were evaluated by team leaders and told we could move forward with the upcoming training/testing weekend with the caveat that we had “a lot of work” to do, and we both needed to work on our confidence.

- Ah, confidence…rather, the lack of confidence has been a theme for me my entire life.

Blue and I elected not to move forward with the training weekend last year. But, we took the feedback to heart and continued to work on our skills…and confidence.

If I’m being completely honest…I had a little FOMO. I really wanted to see what the training was all about. I love to learn and I love challenges.

- And, I do tend to push myself out of my comfort zone…as evidenced by the writing of these newsletters.

I knew that whether or not Blue and I successfully passed the training weekend that we would pick up new skills. That we would become aware of even more things we could work on. And, that it would be a bonding weekend full of cool experiences.

So, as the training weekend approached for this year, I checked in with our beloved professor at Blue’s school and asked if he had any red flags for us giving it a go. With no concerns, he gave us his blessing. And more than that…he was encouraging.

I don’t know about you…but sometimes it is just really nice to feel that you have somebody in your corner?? Not a requirement…but just nice to know someone else believes too.

So Blue and I completed our application, and we agreed to focus. We did lots of training and simulated practices. We worked on “under” while Blue patiently waited under tables during meal times. We worked on the “leave it” command quite a lot! And, we practiced “loose leash” walking everywhere we went.

We also had many conversations about the upcoming weekend. We talked about rules and expectations, sticking together as a team, keeping all 4 paws on the ground, and saying “hello” politely.

If we were to pass, we would get a certification. If not, we could work on skills and potentially test again…

This edition is the first of a 3 Part series where we will share our tales from our training weekend…

And We Begin.

We started early on a Saturday morning, arriving well before 7AM. I wanted to arrive early to give Blue a chance to get some energy out and settle in. We jogged, walked, played, sniffed, listened, observed — and then we did it all again — over and over.

By 7:15 AM or so, the parking lot was filling with the 20 or so humans and their dogs who were there to train. — Each human and their dog is a “team”. — And, our master trainer had arrived along with team alumni who were there to help facilitate the training.

A Rough Start.

My husband says I’m a rule follower…until I’m not a rule follower.

Twelve years of college and professional education adds up to a lot of lectures. Not to mention continuing education courses that have to be completed every year post graduation.

This mostly reserved, “I can fly solo” type of gal, who often has the goal of not being seen or heard, is quite content at the back of any lecture hall or group setting. I intentionally position myself for a quick escape in case I want to grab a moment of silence or just need some movement.

—I certainly did not view this training any differently. My goals were to stay at the back, go unnoticed and don’t make a scene.

Well, within the first 5 minutes I was told I needed to “move in and get closer”. That wasn’t comfortable for me, so I silently declined that direction. Spoiler - I rejected this guidance multiple times during the weekend.

I would say that Blue is a rule follower….until he is not a rule follower.

Within the first 5 minutes, one of the team leaders came over to greet Blue. He didn’t jump, but his front paws came off the ground. He was super excited to say “hi”. And, paws off the floor is a big no-no.

So…no more than 5 minutes in - I am not feeling great about this entire situation! I’ve already been noncompliant with instructions, and Blue is coming in hot with his “hello”. My FOMO was quickly being overridden with “what was I thinking?!”.

And here comes the bus…

The Bus.

Our first training session was to learn how to properly enter, get seated, and exit public transportation…specifically, a bus.

The bus had two doors — one at the front, and one toward the rear. I’m guessing there were maybe 25-30 seats total. Some seats were forward facing. Some were backward facing, and some were side facing.

Exercise 1

Our master trainer asked all of the teams to get on the bus and take a seat. And, she timed us — it took over 7 minutes for all of us to successfully get seated for the first attempt.

At that point we were given all kinds of instructions on how to properly enter and exit the bus. How to maneuver into the various seats. How to protect our dogs from strangers. How to keep our dogs close and secure.

The dogs in the training came in all sizes….from less than 10 pounds to 185 pounds. And not only did the humans have to sit very close to each other, so did the dogs. And, just like humans can be particular about who they want to sit next to…dogs can be that same way. So we had to ensure that all of our dogs were behaving politely while honoring everyone’s space.

— Blue did great with this exercise. There was so much stimulation. The spaces were small, and we both had to learn how to adapt to various seating arrangements.

— There were a few times when a dog’s face would be positioned directly in front of Blue’s. I could see that this pushed Blue out of his comfort zone…and in fact I had to work hard to not let him recoil underneath the seat. I did lots of talking to him and petting his chest to get him through the different scenarios.

We repeated this exercise multiple times - entering the bus, finding different seats, and exiting the bus. Each time trying to get quicker.

For the final round, one of the team alumni channeled her inner drill sergeant and stood outside the bus and highly encouraged us to get a move on. At our best we were able to accomplish this task as a group in under 1 minute 24 seconds.

Exericse 2

For the next training session, our master trainer explained that we would walk our dog on the bus through the front door. Then, without looking at our dog or speaking to our dog, we would hand the leash to her (the master trainer) and walk quickly off the rear of the bus. From there we would stand and wait for the cue that we could call our dog.

When I heard those instructions…my heart dropped into my tummy. If you’ve followed our newsletters, you know that Blue and I have done a lot of work with separation anxiety. Blue does not love when he is out of sight from me. And, I was so concerned that he was going to try to run off the bus, possibly hurting the master trainer if he panicked.

So, I approached one of the team alumni - the same one who had just finished her role as drill sergeant - and I said something like “Hey, I am really concerned that Blue is not going to be OK with this…and I’m worried that he is going to hurt the trainer. How can I get word to her that this could be a problem?”

The former drill sergeant kindly reminded me that the trainer is a “master trainer” and that I did not need to get any word to her. I just needed to let it happen.

So…I stepped back, and Blue and I waited our place in line. — My stomach was doing full somersaults about the impending disaster.

I turned my attention toward my breath.

Our turn came, Blue and I walked on the bus…I said nothing. Handed over the leash and walked toward the back and exited. I was then directed to walk to the rear tires where I stood and waited for the cue to call him. What felt like an eternity was maybe 30 seconds — I’m not even sure.

When I called Blue’s name for that out of sight recall, he ran off the bus listening to my voice trying to find me. And, he came right to me as soon as he discovered my location.

Blue was a little champion. And, I thought we were done with the bus…

Exercise 3

So our next instructions for the BUS were as follows: Walk your dog on the bus through the front and walk to the back of the bus and exit as quickly as you can. Nothing else was said. I had no idea what to expect. But, I thought it seemed manageable…

So as we enter the bus, I see that alumni have filled the seats. They are yelling Blue’s name with excitement and volume. They are petting him, trying to get his attention, and they are even offering him yummy treats.

Blue and I stuck together as a team. He stayed calm with all of the noise and excitement. He once again did a great job!

Exercise 4

Finally our bus training was complete…

Understandably, the bus needed to be free of any dog fur. So all of us “newbies” were asked to get back on the bus and use our lint rollers to clean the seats.

We were told that one of the alumni would take our dogs’ leashes and stand outside the bus while we did the cleaning.

My heart sank again.

An alumni member was going to come over and take Blue’s leash. I didn’t know if he would panic, try to run to me, or what he would do. I was once again concerned this could be a disaster.

A kind man with a leash in one hand - attached to a beautiful, cream-colored golden retriever - walked over to me and took Blue’s leash in his other hand and said “I’ve got him”. I quickly tried to say “I don’t know how he will do…he doesn’t like to be separated.” The man looked at me and said “it will be fine.”.

So I calmly walked away and onto the bus with my stomach once again doing flips.

Again, I turned my attention toward my breath.

As I was putting the lint roller to work I caught glimpses of Blue out the window. Blue was attentive and looking for me…but he stayed calm. And after several minutes of lint roller action, I exited the bus and walked toward Blue. He sat and waited for me to reach him. And then we had a BIG party and I told him how BRAVE he was! Blue did awesome!

Relinquishing The Leash.

Twice I had to hand over the leash and walk away.

— I had to trust in Blue and the training that we have done. And, Blue had to trust in me that I would be back for him.

— I also had to trust the two humans who took Blue’s leash — that they would know what to do if his discomfort of being separated overcame him.

— Blue met the moments with calm and courage. And, I established an anchor in my breath.

Once again, Blue taught me more than I could ever teach him.

Anchors.

In mindfulness, we can use anchors to quiet and collect the mind. Anchors help connect us to our body…which helps us connect to the moment. I’ll mention just a few…

Breath.

- We can notice the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils and throat.

- We can notice the rise and fall of the chest or belly.

Sensations.

- Noticing the feet on the floor.

- Noticing where the hands are resting.

- Noticing the sit bones on the chair or floor.

- Listening to the external sounds.

Mindfulness.

One of my greatest teachers is a cream-colored, loving, energetic, little monster with a passion for stealing laundry. And, Blue reminds me every day to practice mindfulness — to connect to moments.

Both times I handed over the leash, my thoughts and emotions took over. Using my breath as an anchor allowed me to connect to my body and quiet my mind. And this practice of mindfulness has changed my life.

A Meditation With Breath As The Anchor…

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Have you ever reflected on what your dog has taught you? — Or what any animal has taught you?

We would love to know. You can share by posting a comment or replying to this email.

In Honor Of A Beautiful Human:

I have always admired Diane Keaton. And, my admiration for her has grown after learning about her love of animals.

“Animals bring you a sense of wonder.”― Diane Keaton

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them and every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”― Diane Keaton

What We Are Loving:

We have been loving our walks in the crisp, cool air. Witnessing the beauty and wonder of Fall.

- Elizabeth Gilbert speaks about one of her favorite games “The most interesting path”. She takes a walk, and every time she comes to a crossroad, she looks left and right and decides which way looks more interesting. And she chooses that path.

- So Blue and I have been playing “The most interesting path.” With each crossroad, we take turns choosing the direction. — We keep our phone with us so we have GPS in case we get lost!

- And at the end of our game we try to guess how many steps we walked!

In closing this edition, Blue and I wanted to share our gratitude to Erica Jago. Erica is an incredible author, teacher and designer. She has been a believer in our Dogs & Mindfulness concept from the beginning. And, Blue and I continue to learn and grow in our offerings with her guidance and expertise. Thank you Erica! IG @erica_jago

Thank you for following along!

Until we write again,