Indeed, you should ask...

Inspiration smacked me in the face this morning.  A friend of mine, whom I've actually only met in-person one time yet had an instant connection with (she probably didn't know that!), wrote something about her and her lovely dog on a blog that really hit me in the face.   In all fairness, this is the person who turned me on to Suzanne Clothier and her wonderful methods of relationship-based training, so I'm a little biased.

You think these poodles are loving their new 'do as much as the person giving it to them?  I don't think so.

Anywho, said person was talking about how Suzanne is running her life because she keeps asking her dog "How is this for you?" when doing various activities with him, such as agility, obedience, tracking etc.  I love this and can actually picture her looking at her dog and saying such a thing with such respect and matter-of-fact attitude.  How many of you really take the time and ask your dog how much they are/are not enjoying what you are doing at any given moment?  Chances are not many and I am as guilty as everyone else for doing things for myself without consideration for the other end of the leash. 

If any of you have had the lovely experience of having a massage, chances are that you have been asked by the masseuse how the pressure is, how the music is, etc.  You know how nice it is when someone actually cares enough to ask your opinion...and I'm talking about someone who actually cares about your answer to their question.  Not the 22 year old chick that is a "massage therapist" because she likes the hours and pay.  It feels nice, yes it does.  So, why not turn to your dog (or cat or whatever other animal(s) you live with) and ask them..."How is this for you?"  You, like I, might be surprised with how they answer the question.