Training a Puppy Like Mind

We got a puppy last year and she turned one year old this month.

My husband and I had forgotten how much work a baby brings. Babies can’t do anything for themselves except “poop and pee” and our puppy did a lot of that. Our daughters are adults and we started teaching them independent living skills as soon as they could stand on a stool and reach the kitchen sink. Yes, we had an automatic dishwasher, but we chose to teach them to wash dishes manually first. They do not take the dishwasher for granted.

Our daughters take care of themselves. The puppy reminded us about life with a baby, demanding our attention 24 hours a day. I personally asked myself “what was I thinking” every time the puppy barked. We could not rest.

A few months ago, she barked all night long.

Her bark is a piercing, hurt your ears kind of bark. She would settle down for a few minutes and then bark twice as long. We are working people and we had to go to work the next day. One night she would not sleep, and we were miserable. My husband kept taking her outside thinking she needed to go to the bathroom. He said when they got outside, she just looked at him as if wondering why they were out there.

I finally got up at 2:30 am and took her into another room. After turning on the television, I sat in the middle of the floor. Our puppy wagged her tail, licked me and played with her chew stick. She wandered around the room exploring and occasionally found something to chew on. Each time, I had to redirect her. At one point, I closed my eyes nodding and heard a crunching noise. She had found a plastic item to chew on. I couldn’t identify it because it was crushed into tiny pieces. No sleep for me.

Three hours later, I took her outside and fed her. At 6 am I walked into our bedroom, greeted my husband and prepared to go to work.

We have worked with our puppy and now she sleeps through the night. It took a lot of work. We figured out what she needed and when and started a routine to help her to wind down. She has been happier, and we feel more rested.

Training the mind to meditate is often like training a puppy.

I made a commitment to meditate and to expand my meditation practice this year. In the past, meditation caused me to feel more in control of my thoughts, feelings and actions. I work a full-time job and growing a part-time business. My thoughts revolve around two different worlds at the same time. Additionally, my home and family needs and requires my attention. On top of this, as a member of the sandwich generation, I have older family members for whom I have concerns.

My mind is constantly thinking, pondering, or stewing over problems, concerns, or the next thing I must do. Because of this, I recognized that I needed focus, peace and the ability to manage all these pieces without losing it.

Now I get out of bed between 5 and 5:30 am during the week.

This is only one hour before my usual wake up time. During the hour, I spend a total of 30 minutes in reflective quiet time. I begin with a simple, 10-minute mindful breathing exercise focusing solely on my breath. I don’t change the cadence or depth of breathing. After 10 minutes, I read affirmations that I collected and that uplift me. The affirmations are written on note cards. Because I only wrote one to each card, I can read them mindfully, flipping them over once they are read.

Reading the affirmations takes about 10 minutes as well. I do not rush, and I allow a second or two for each to settle in. After I read the affirmations, I set my timer for an additional 10 minutes of mindful breathing.

Starting my day this way has helped me throughout the day. My mind is focused. I feel better able to handle surprises at work. I am approaching my day with curiosity. I am also less critical of myself and others. I haven’t perfected my practice and I am certainly not at a point that would rival a Buddhist priest, but I believe I am on my way.