Time for a walk?
The regenerative power of the dog park
This is a business blog, right? Shouldn’t it be full of tips, techniques and things to make a business person’s life work better, be more productive and generate greater profits off a lower cost base.
So it is. It’s just that the approach is a little different. For the last number of years my brother Phillip has raved about the magic of the dog park with his SPCA mutt Honey.
I joined a chorus of derision with my two other brothers over a silly middle aged man being so besotted by a dog. We grew up with dogs, both on farm and as domestic pets but there was no such thing as a dog park then.
This year has been really stressful and for those of us prone to anxiety and depression, especially confronting. The recent arrival of a puppy into our home was a source of great excitement for us. The greatest treat was to be in the presence of such unalloyed joy and love and companionship.
It’s been a long time since I got home from work and my daughter ran out to cuddle me and tell me excitedly about her day. Not so with Frank. I can be inside talking to him and go outside to get something from the car and when I return he is as excited to see me as if I had been gone for a month.
And so off to our happy place. Twice a day (generally), Frank and I go to the dog park. At 5.30am we often have it to ourselves and Frank runs free and off-lead exploring, chasing leaves, birds, things that don’t even exist except in the mind of a five month old puppy. As we amble along the river, he paddles at the edges and runs up and down trails through the undergrowth. Eventually there will be another dog. They will size each other up and either romp and race and wrestle if they are both babies, circle each other confidently or if it’s an old dog, Frank will be told to piss off which he is getting better at acting on.
At 6pm, the park has lots of dogs of all sizes and ages. This is heaven. So many arses to sniff, so much running around, play fighting, ball stealing and swimming with friends to be done.
Weekends are a particular treat. There could be 45 or more dogs all having a marvellous time like a giant children’s playground only with less tears and tantrums. While the dogs are having fun, the secondary pleasure is that for each dog, there is at least one human and dog owners come in an incredible array of types. While it is true that many bear a remarkable resemblance to their dog, that is inconsequential.
Most of these people you would probably never speak to in normal life, but the nature of the dog park is that you are automatically part of the same community. It inbues you with a relatedness that enables conversations to begin with complete strangers that may be fleeting or may last for an hour while the dogs play. Farewells from these conversations are always cordial and warm.
Delightfully, over time, you get to see each other randomly and almost without exception, it’s a pleasure to see people unexpectedly and you can’t often say that about the rest of life. You end up knowing the names and breeds and ages of their dogs. You seldom learn the names of the humans. You don’t need to. It’s not about you. It’s about your dog.
When there are lots of people there is a joyous freedom in the air. When there are no other people there is a serenity with just you, a blissful dog and beautiful scenery.
So how is this about business? The answer to that lies in one of the things I almost always discuss with clients. Answer the question - what do you do outside of your business that brings you joy, contentment and relaxation that you can just do and it has the soothing effect every time without fail?
I’m sure that many have elaborate or simple things they do. Maybe yoga, meditation, F45, bike riding etc etc. I don’t gravitate to any of those things and I have a mind that takes a lot of calming and soothing. If you’re like me, I highly recommend the transformative and contemplative discipline of walking a puppy in a dog park. Pure joy and there is nothing you need to know, remember or learn. The dog and the park will teach you everything you need to know.
RegenerationHQ says “business problems solved sensibly”. For more sensible solutions, contact John on +64 275 665 682 or john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz