I had a thought this morning, while out on my walk with Riggs. As is normal on our walks, he had his head down and was on a super sniff session. When I walk my dogs, it is about them; I want to make sure that they get enough of what they need as far as information and fact finding. It’s good for them and it makes me happy seeing them on a mission to seek out more information. While he was deep in the thick of his sniff; I knew it was just a matter of time until he came up for a connection. At that moment he looked up, we locked eyes and had our connection. He then went back to his sniffing. This is where my thought process stemmed from this morning.

This made me think about humans and their addiction to cell phones. In a never ending quest for more stimulus and more information from afar; we can miss what is right in front of us. Some people are on their phone, scrolling for a bit and then check in with the humans around them. But others are very commited in their mindless scrolling. They become so dedicated to what they might miss on social media; that they miss out on their own life. Life is happening around them, but they miss it completely. No check ins, no connection. Human connection is gone and the only connection is to the stimulus of the scrolling.

When Riggs has his head in the bushes or he is on a great scent; he is there, in the thick of it. But if I called to him, he would be out. What I prefer to do is wait, and connect with him once he is done. I like that he does it on his own and when we have eye contact; even fleeting, it is huge and very important. It offers a sense of oneness; we are on our adventure together. Without any connection on an active walk; it would make no difference to Riggs, who was on the other end of the leash from him.

Check ins take work. Depending on the dog, age of the dog, degree of stimulus on a walk and work that you have put into make check ins important. In the beginning, when I have a new puppy; check ins are rewarded. This is because puppies don’t care about a whole lot when they are young. As they get older, you become an important part of your dog’s life. Treat rewarding becomes less (although I still reward great check ins); and verbal praise replaces the food reward. Now, with our connection so deeply intwined; a simple check in from both of us (eye contact from both) seals the deal. We are together.

If your dog is so overstimulated by their surroundings, that you cannot get a check in; then you have work to do. Whether it is because they are young, over stimulated, high drive or you just never realized that check ins are a thing. You can get your dog to check in by rewarding them. A dog that doesn’t check in with you is very much like many humans today who are hooked on their phones. Dopamine, a pleasure/reward neurochemical, is at play when someone becomes more interested in their phone than the life around them.

When our dog’s look at us and we return the behavior; we both experience a dopomine surge. Depending on your relationship with your dog; oxytocin (bonding/love hormone) can also be triggered. A deep connection with your dog is what it is all about. But as a longtime dog trainer; I understand that many dogs and their humans don’t have that. But you can have it; and once you do, you’ll be hooked.

Life on this earth is all about sharing it. Living with dogs is far more than just having a dog. It is about being connected to another species. How lucky are we to be able to live with the descendant of wolves in our homes with us? Sometimes I think that it is really crazy that these wolf descendant just live with us. But living with and being connected are very different. My connection with Riggs is pretty crazy. I can just look at him and he is like “what’s up Mom?” He is a deep and emotional soul; and having the honor of connection with him is simply a gift.

Life is filled with tiny moments; the small things as I always say. It is the small things that are important. A check in from your dog is one of those little things that are huge. Accept them and relish in the fact that they are offered. Hold tight to your connection as they are not always given.

And humans, get off your phone; you are missing your life, and the little things that don’t happen twice.