The Art of Doing Nothing

There's a viral post that made the rounds so much, the folks at SNL turned it into a funny skit.  You know the one, right?  The dogs attending a play?  The original post was for service dogs in training and was created to help people understand all the diverse training that goes into raising a service dog (here's one link to the original story: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/20/us/service-dogs-theater-canada-trnd). The SNL skit just made the dogs look really judgy of bad theater, but I digress.  I do have a point, so bear with me! (And if you didn't see the SNL skit, here's a link to that as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndxq_YqBMVs).

Among the many skills taught to service animals in training is the ability to sit or lay down quietly awake, and do absolutely nothing. Not chew on a bone, not demand attention, not try to engage anyone else around them.  Just. Do. Nothing.  It's a skill indeed. Many a dog, even those in service animal programs, have a hard time doing nothing; and if they are doing nothing, they actually nod off!  

So, what does this have to do with the rest of us who simply own companion dogs? Well, I'm glad you asked!  You see, I think the art of doing nothing is something really important and worth teaching to all of our dogs, from the time that they are puppies.  To be able to sit or rest quietly, without chewing on a bone, being petted, or demanding constant interaction takes practice.  Some dogs will have the right temperament or personality to master this skill quickly, while others may never quite get there.  Desi was a dog who clearly understood the art of doing nothing. I could take him anywhere, and he'd just sit or plop down and rest, watching the world go by. Now Desi also was a fan of nodding off while doing nothing, but since he wasn't a service animal, I cut him some slack.  If I reached down to pet him, he'd give me some love, and then go right back to resting quietly. Many a restaurant waiter was surprised to find out that I even had a dog at my table when Desi was there.  Ozzie is a different story. He's always been very vigilant in public spaces; he'll sit or lay down near me, but if I shift my weight, or someone walks past us, or any loud noise occurs, he's back up, oriented toward the disturbance, and often with a chuff or bark if he's really taken offense.  

Because of the huge difference between Ozzie and Desi and their ability to do absolutely nothing in a public space, I started with Henley from the moment I brought him home.  I took that puppy everywhere, starting with treats and activities to keep him busy on a mat at my feet, and working up to the point where now, at 2 years old, he can sit or lay next to me in public with minimal interaction. He's not quite at Desi's level, but he's way better than Ozzie. 

Now that my daughter has Zelly, I've begun working with her on this skill as well. For a dog registered as a person's emotional support animal, Zelly will need to master the art of doing nothing. She will need to be able to do absolutely nothing in my daughter's office, during client meetings, and at conferences, for example.  She's still a puppy, so right now we are focusing on her being able to do nothing happily in her crate and while tethered, for short periods of time.  We will build up the length of time she can do nothing AND the different situations she's able to succeed at doing nothing in. 

I encourage all of you to test your dog's ability to do absolutely nothing and still remain awake!  If you take them to work with you or to run errands, see if they can rest quietly, eyes open, and not need reinforcement from you.  And while you're at it, see if you, too, can master this skill.  It's a hard one! Most of us are constantly moving and doing and talking and engaging.  We rarely just do nothing.  Try it. It's good for you.  Take deep breaths.  Close your eyes (but stay awake!).  Focus on enjoying just being present.  It can be really rewarding to do absolutely nothing.  Trust me.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's Henley at a neighborhood block party event.  I'm in a chair and he's resting quietly, still awake, near my feet.  He was able to do this for about 45 minutes before he got up, stretched, and wanted attention.  Not bad for a "non-service" dog!