Mindfulness and Walking Dogs

Mindfulness

I wanted to experiment with the practice of mindfulness and being more in the moment while I was out walking the dogs, to see if there was a change in their behaviour.

Firstly I experimented with meditating before taking them out, to see how that impacted them. The dogs didn't tear about quite so madly when we starting to get ready.  I found if I was stay mindful on the walk, being in the moment, not over-thinking and being easy on myself,  the dogs seemed to be calmer.  As I attempted to follow the practice I was surprised to notice the amount of stressing and fussing was going on in my mind and that I am not usually aware of.

This account describes one of the more 'eventful' walks with Logan and Archie.

It was a bright and crisp winter's day. Our journey started along the road,  Logan staying close behind me, on the lead while Archie was more exuberant, rushing along ahead. I noticed, and tried to silence, the negative thoughts in my head.  Why have you not taught him to walk calmly on the lead?'

Losing Control

When we got to the woods both dogs were let off.  Logan shoots off like a rocket.  Nose down, madly sniffing, tail waving, picking up scents, soaring over fences (eek the same barbed wire fence that he has come a cropper on before). My calm demeanour is already crumbling.  I am panicking, I want us to be able to enjoy freedom but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get Logan to listen to me.

Archie, the Labrador, is usually a valuable ally when this happens.  He seems to keep Logan in the here-and-now.  He has been known to ambush him from behind a tree and bump him, shoulder-to-shoulder, which brings  Logan back to the here and now.

But Archie was not up for jumping over the fence, thankfully, and was struggling to keep up with Logan, much less connect with him.  It wasn't long before Logan was out of sight. Archie tried to find him but returned alone.  Sometimes Logan will reappear after a few minutes.  On the other hand, its not unknown for hm to be gone for hours.  I had no option but to go with the flow and try to remain calm, continuing with my 'mindful' practice.

Decision Time

We got to a stage in the walk where we could start on the downward path back home. There had been no further sign of Logan.  I was trying to feel what the best option would be.  'Go to the mast' as a thought, popped into my head. This was a communications mast, at the highest point of the walk.  It would be another hour's walk.  I wouldn't be back before dark. But I went with my intuition and we continued our ascent.  After a few hundred yards, Logan rushed out from our right.  Brilliant!   The relief was short-lived.  His eyes met mine as  I called him, but he carried on running, across my path, disappearing into the trees on the other side of the track.  He still had 'stuff to do'.  Archie gave it another go, but returned alone a few minutes later.

What now?  'Go to the mast' came into my head again.  Still?  There really is no time to get back before dark.  But I had a strong sense that it was for the best.  We continued along the forest road.  In time I started to become calmer as I relaxed into acceptance and noticed the quality of the countryside around me.

It was a lovely walk and even though the light was starting to go we had a great view up the glen, before we turned round to retrace our steps home.

But Logan was still AWOL. I tried to connect in with his feelings.  I didn’t sense any panic or fear and wondered if he had already arrived home.

Reunion

The light was dimming and our pace got slower as  I avoided icy patches along the track.  Archie stayed in closer.  I was nervous of losing him as well.  We were close to the village and the light had completely gone. The last bit of the route was on an uneven, icy, steep, narrow path, lined with trees.  I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face.  I was worried about falling or banging my head into a low branch.   I was aware of a dog at my right side.  Looking down, expecting to see Archie, I recognised Logan's patches of white, trotting beside me after being missing for two hours.  He jumped up, excitedly greeting me.  I felt my heart explode with gratitude.  Thank you universe!  Such a sense of relief.  Turns out I hadn't been that calm after all.

I still had the last bit of the forest to navigate as the dogs forged ahead.  'But I can't see' I protested.  Logan returned to my side, staying close for the rest of the walk.

Gratitude

The experience helped me become much more of my anxiety and how quickly it can escalate.  I sensed that Logan had a need to just run away and that Archie had a need to keep us all together .  It was interesting to practice listening to my intuition when faced with deciding what to do.  The huge joy of finding Logan by my side and feeling his support for me when I most needed it in the dark, will stay with me as will the unfaltering support of Archie.   I'm not sure I was really going with the flow, mind you.