Little and Often

Or little and not often if we are referring to my blogging.

Are you a planner?  One of those people who has to plan everything from the big picture or goal down to the basic steps or "next actions"?  You research everything there is to know about a project before even thinking of starting it (is that even possible?)?  When it comes to pet care and training, have you read all the blog posts, scoured the pet fora, and consulted with Dr. Google but have yet to actually do anything about it?  Well, don't feel bad.  I am probably more guilty of that than any of you out there.

Elaine: Modeling the fluffy covered harness

Our storage area was cluttered with my "project support" materials -- some related to the clinic and my plans for the practice, most were my own pet projects (literally as well as figuratively).  As I tackled the piles of ideas-that-went-nowhere, I realized that those ideas went nowhere because I spent all my time planning and researching, and not actually doing any of it.

Well, that's not true.  Covering the harness with a re-purposed fluffy blanket for extra padding was probably an idea that thankfully went nowhere (you have Elaine to thank for not having to view a video on that one!).

I digress.

It can be difficult for some planners to take those final steps to become doers.  Procrastination, anyone?  It does not help that one of the tip to overcome procrastination is to break projects down into small doable next actions.  That just mean more planning time for me.  So, even though being diligent and doing my research have served me (and our patients) well, it had also kept me from sharing ideas and information with you.  I spend way too much time thinking of what to write instead of just doing it.  I need to learn that I do not have to discuss the A-Z of dog training philosophy to share a video on operant conditioning or shaping behavior.  Besides, is that not the beauty of blogging?  That I can follow-up later with more information if needed or requested?  Well, this will be a work in progress.  We will see if I can keep up with more timely published blog posts instead of having a backlog of drafts.

Do you have a pet related project that has been sitting in your Someday/Maybe List because you think you just do not have the time to start?  Is "Take Elaine jogging Thursday evenings" still stuck in my (uh, your) Waiting For List because I (you) just have not found that perfect running harness for her?

If I can blog off-the-cuff (and believe me, this was not easy for me), you can make a dent in whatever project that has been in a holding pattern, pet-related or not.

• Nail Trim: Don't worry about getting the Qwik-Stop Powder when your baby is not even letting you touch his paws yet.  Just start the counterconditioning exercise. Touch his paws while someone is giving him treats.  See this video from Dr. Sophia Yin for details.  Again, don't worry about getting a nail trimmer or anything yet, just use the exercise to get him to let you touch and handle his paws.  You can get the nail trimmer (and research that all you want!) after you are able to safely hold his paws and manipulate his toes.  Disclaimer: I tried the technique in the video and was nowhere as successful as Dr. Yin and definitely not in 4 minutes.  You may have better outcomes though.
• Home Dental Care:  Start touching your pet's mouth and lifting her lips to get her used to the handling before worrying about what types of toothbrushes and pastes to get her.  If she is aggressive, you may have to ask your family vet or trainer for advice and/or do some research first (I know, research --- that's what I wrote to stop doing just seconds ago) but that's not the case for most of us.  Most of us have not started brushing our pet's teeth because we imagine it to be some epic project when it can really be just developing a habit or routine.
• Running with Your Dog:  It's all fine to research how to avoid causing neck injury to your dog before taking her out for that first run.  But if you are not even currently taking her out for long walks, don't let the lack of a good harness keep you from starting her training with walks and refreshing her heeling skills.

The "little and often" approach is effective in many situation, including pet care and training.
So now, that I have managed to finish a post, without outlining and mindmapping it ad nauseam, and share a couple training videos (the shaping video still amazes me) that had been languishing on my lists, I am off to take Elaine out for that evening walk.

Remember, little and often.
Let's hope I can remember that too when it comes to blogging!