"It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing)" - Duke Ellington

I love music but will be the first to admit that it is a neglected area of my life. I tend to forget about it until someone comes along and reminds me of how magical it is .. or as in the case of this post, I accidentally discover a piece of music and it resonates! So you may very well ask, what does this wonderful old Ellington tune have to do with dogs and dog training?

Lately, more humour, creativity and levity has been steadily making its way into my interactions with all the animals and people I work with. It is wonderful to have a grasp the pure power of invitational PLAY! Real play and playfulness requires letting go of stale notions about what an animal and people MUST do. It necessitates dropping timelines and dictums about which play items are appropriate ...  and to some extent rules must be set aside, at least temporarily. It requires watching, listening, learning and inviting dogs to join you in a game OR asking them if you can join in with theirs. And it is OH SO true that without "that swing"  (a lightness of being) PLAY "don't mean a thing"!

I started to understand play on a more profound level two summers ago when I raised two litters of puppies. Watching the puppies develop and learn to play with each other and the adult dogs in their lives has changed me forever in the best of all possible ways.

I've had a couple of tremendous breakthroughs lately in coaching this concept to clients. I am starting to be able to help people see the power of play and to model playful interactions. It is quite addictive so I am sure that with more practice I will simply get better at teaching the dog/human interactions required in the art of play.

Yesterday, I worked with a lovely six month old sheltie puppy. It was clear to see that his owners adore him but there was a significant breakdown in communication! They were very frustrated because they were unable to "get him to sit" OR to stop biting at their ankles. First time dog owners, these warm hearted people simple did not have sufficient knowledge about how dogs learn to know that pressing down on their young dog's bottom to MAKE him sit was a tremendous invasion of his sheltie sensibilities. What a delight it was to have the skill to easily show them how brilliant their puppy is! Within minutes he was eagerly offering sits and downs for his owners and laughing at all my jokes. Levity, lightness and know how very quickly eradicated the frustrations his people had been feeling. I very much doubt they will label him "stubborn" in the future.

When you go out to train today don't forget "It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing". And remember to learn from the masters ...