Blink

As my decision making skills are at an all-time low (which is saying something since I’ve always been a champion waffler), and no one appears to want to make any decisions FOR me (…wusses!) I started trying to figure through things a bit.

Then I started reading the book Blink. This is by the guy who wrote Outliers, which was depressingly interesting. So far Blink lacks the same depression factor but is similarly fascinating.  His topic this time is instinct and impressions. What I gather so far is that you need just 2 seconds to come to the same gut decision on something or someone that you might take weeks or months to arrive at by carefully thinking through.

What’s not to like about THAT?

***

My gut tells me lots of things.  Besides when to eat and when to find a restroom, that is. 

Your gut probably tells you lots too. Connected to our guts is this whole subconscious decision making process that knows each of us better than our stupid conscious minds that take forever to make themselves up.  Basically it’s in charge of how we stay alive each day but it could do so much more for us if we would only listen. Disclaimer: Sometimes it’s bad to listen to your gut, like when it tells you to spend gobs of money you don’t have on pointy shoes you will never wear. But that’s why we have a brain too. The gut though, can be verrrrrry helpful aside from these few and far between situations.

Like, for example, when you need to decide what you really should focus on with your doggie for the next year.

***

While I tried to weigh things and ask advice and actually think everything through, it just made the whole question of what to do murkier. After showing Saturday (and after weekends of showing without any clear focus or respite) I went home and sat on the couch, exhausted, and just felt. No more thinking. I ate pizza to feed my gut and then some Cinnamon Toast Crunch (shhh, it’s what my gut WANTED) and then I just knew I was going to focus on AKC this year.  And now of course it makes total sense.  Even if I really don’t get anywhere with it, I can see it’s a better path.

It will ensure that I work hard on The Dog’s conditioning.

I will need to finally put in the time to educate her on jumping.

I’ll definitely need to keep improving my handling.

The Pup will be happier because she will get to show.

I can just see this other side of complacent behaviors if I focused on USDAA where all I have to work towards is titles. I can see messy confused jumping and handling if I try to do both. I can also see losing a LOT of crate pads because of Angry Pup not getting to show.

So there. Ahhhh. Thank you, gut.

***

Oh. Yes, we still will show USDAA if it fits. The August/September months will be dedicated as I’m still going to the Regionals and Nationals. She will be jumping 22” for those events and our club’s giant spring trial.  If I enter Grand Prix at any time before Regionals, that will be 22” but otherwise I will run her 26”. 

And now we have a whole glorious month off. Yaaaay! And then if I am lucky (uh, smart?) we won’t have back to back shows again for a loooong time.

***

As for the last hurrah- She ran really, really well on Saturday. Not a super Q rate because of ME and my tired-unfocused-nonsupportiveness but she ran REALLY well. Very good dogwalks and Aframes and table.  (Side note: Saturday was TITLE DAY for everyone else at least! Congrats to the fresh ADCHs and a special smooshy kiss to Black Dog for her Gold ADCH!)

Sunday she ran less well (not as fast and sloppy contacts) which I managed better, sadly, so we had a nice Q rate.  I was surprised at the difference from one day to the next (granted the one dogwalk Sunday wasn’t an ideal set up but high leapy Aframes?) but tragically figured out that sad burned pads were the likely culprit. Sure wish she would limp or something…ever.

BUT she doesn’t care.  Not as much as me anyways. And she has a new Bat Cape so she will have extra enhanced R&R.  She really likes her Bat Cape.



I can haz hat too?