Day 885

All of our Goldens make mistakes now and then. When those mistakes are discovered, they usually have the honesty to admit their blunder. Sam isn’t often caught, but when he is, he will give us a “look” as if to say, “Busted! Yup, it was me!” There is seldom any remorse for his actions…only regret for getting caught!

None of us like to make mistakes. As an educator, I tried to enlighten my students with the idea that we learn by our mistakes. They embraced that to a degree, but still hated being wrong.

There have been times when I have had a defensive reaction to being mistaken. Sometimes, it was because I believed that my thoughts or actions WERE right, but other times, I was just being stubborn. In the first instance, defending myself was fine, but in the second, I realized I had work to do.

At our house, lively discussions are acceptable and even welcomed while arguing is taboo. During discussions, you can learn and bend your ideas. In an argument; stubborn voices tend to turn off the listening part of the brain. Discussions certainly make for a kinder, gentler home!

Sam has not come to that “understanding” yet. If he could point his paw at one of his brothers, he’d do it in a heartbeat! With enough rewards for good decisions and a close eye on his antics, he makes the right choice more and more often. Dogs are not so different from people after all!