The line between poetry and science is not delineation, it is the well worn trail we find ourselves on again and again. It is the comfortable space we find ourselves in when we have learned to both assimilate the knowledge gained from research and study, and the intuition gained from years of intimately sharing our lives with dogs, knowing them as well as we know ourselves.

The line between poetry and science is where we find ourselves when we are at our best. When we, teacher, can see in front of us dog, not fur baby to be infantilized or livestock to gain mastery over, just dog, our friend who we guide in adventures.

The importance of understanding the underlying scientific principles that guide why certain methods of communicating succeed while other fail is important, we need to know why something works so that we know which bits to tweak if something starts to fall apart. But when we train our dogs who live with us and have such a cherished place in our hearts, whether for sport, work, or simply to improve their manners in this human realm, we should not completely let go of who we are, of who they are.

Whether or not Picasso actually said it, 'learn the rules so that you can break them' is a good starting point. Take the time to read, to study, there is so much real research now about dog behavior and cognition, so much actual science to be parsed. Understand the science of the dog. The rules. Then you and your dog can choose which rules to break together.

I have been thinking about this a lot. Training used to rely too heavily on myth and force, on the romanticism of controlling the savage beast. We have come a long and good way from this into the modern world of understanding, of behaviorism, of cognition, of discovery. But those words are also used so easily to mask a lack of emotional understanding. We need to know how it all works, of course. And then we need to remember how it feels to love, to play, to revel in the sheer joy of being together. Remember why we let these marvelous animals into our lives.

My own little family is learning to live in a world without See Ya in it. Kiss is having some health struggles but they seem more chronic than acute at the moment. I'm just tired and a wee bit overwhelmed.