Keith Cunningham, and my Board of Directors for a couple of days of strategy and business building. Before I left Calgary, I had to drop our “baby” off at the vet. Today is the big day when Bear, our rescue dog from the Dominican Republic, is scheduled to have his, um .. uh .. friskiness edited. Yep, today he’ll undergo the dreaded “snip”. I’ve been an animal lover since I can remember, but I’ve always been particularly fond of dogs. I think it’s the fact that they’re very intelligent animals that have emotions and feelings, along with the reality that they are always there to cheer you up unconditionally, without ever whining about the tough day they had. My wife Raylene scheduled his appointment last week, and nothing seemed amiss until yesterday when he started acting differently. He became even more affectionate than usual, and refused to leave our side. It was like he had suddenly developed separation anxiety, and didn’t want to let us out of his sight. Last night we were watching TV, and he came and put his head on my knee, rolling his eyes upwards to look at me with a look that said “daddy, please don’t do this to me..” If you have a dog, you know a hound can communicate so much with just a look! This morning, he didn’t want to get out of bed, and moped down the stairs out for his morning release as though he were going to someone’s funeral. It was like somehow, he knew he was in for something unpleasant today. How he knew, I have no idea. The last couple of days, Raylene and I have been very positive around him, and tried not to give him any sense that he had something to be concerned about. He’s been good and hasn’t messed in the house a while, and I took him on a long run yesterday – so you’d think he would be on top of the world.. Maybe he figured that our overly-happy attitudes must be the sign of something ominous. Or somehow, we were unknowingly putting out energy that he picked up as negative. I loaded him into my SUV for the trip to the vet, and he laid down in the back on his blanket. He was motionless and silent for the drive (an unusual thing for him). We arrived at the vet, and he remained lying down in the back when I opened the door (a behavior he very rarely EVER exhibits with his boundless puppy energy). I coaxed him out and into the vet clinic, where he stood around with a look of resignation and depression. He flopped down the floor, laying his chin on the cold, hard linoleum floor. All hope was lost, and it was official – he was going to lose his boys, and there was nothing he could do about it. Worse still, daddy was part of the plan, and couldn’t be trusted. After a rather unpleasant goodbye in which he didn’t want to end, the vet’s assistant admitted him and led him into the bowels of the clinic for his surgery. Geez .. I can’t imagine what it will be like if I ever have a baby boy, and we decide to have him circumsized! As I drove away from the clinic, the thing that ran through my head was how amazing dogs are at picking up energy from their owners. If you watch The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan (my favorite show on TV, which is on the National Geographic channel), you know that he’s a big believer in energy as it relates to dogs. If you’re tense and anxious when walking your dog, they will pick it up and exhibit that energy. This creates imbalance and where most behavioral problems come from. If you’re calm, assertive and clearly in control, that gives the dog comfort (since they NEED someone to lead them as the pack leader), and they’ll follow you happily. As I’ve watched that show, I’ve learned to recognize this fact, and Bear reminded me again today how powerful your personal energy is in affecting those around you. Having traveled today, I’m now awaiting the medical update from Raylene, who is supposed to be picking Bear up from his ordeal tonight. All I can hope for is that he forgets I’m the one that dropped him off for his surgery, and that by the time I get back in a few days, he’s back to normal .. and if he holds any grudges, it’s against Raylene for being the first one he recognizes after such an unpleasant experience! ]]>