My wife and I walked with our dog, Kaya, in one of the city parks here in Bethesda, Maryland, when we had a chance to see two deer eating close to the trail. They were obviously used to people as they took a moment to look directly at us and then kept feeding on the leaves in the dense woodlands.
I was very interested in Kaya, our German Shepherd dog (GSD) who is about 18 months old. In the German Shepherd world that’s not quite an adult, kind of an advanced teenager. Kaya at first wanted to lunge toward the deer but I leaned down and whispered in her ear to be quiet and gave her a hand signal to be patient. She changed her behavior almost instantly.
I have no doubt had I not been there that she would have given chase, but as the GSD proclivity is to listen and follow instructions, she quickly shifted into watching intently and quietly. Together the three of us peered through the forest and watched the deer eating peacefully.
Acutely aware that Kaya was fully focused and by my side I enjoyed taking the moment to teach her how to watch without rushing headlong into pursuit and to stay by my side even as there was an opportunity for a chase.
How many times is our instinct to kick into gear when we would be better served to attentively observe? Is there some instance in the week ahead when your instincts tell you to act, yet attentiveness is really a better choice?
“Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life.”
– Marcus Aurelius
