Walking Meditation

Walking is a pretty spiritual thing for me.  It is a time to be aware of my body and my surroundings.  I am fortunate to live in an area where there are boardwalks and bike paths that go around lakes and into wooded areas.  The air is sweet and cool on days like today and the lake is fairly still.  Swans and ducks and the occasional egret or heron enjoy the marsh by the boardwalk.  Bullfrogs and turtles and leopard frogs rest on fallen branches.  It truly is a beautiful place to live when I take the time to notice it.

I very rarely bring my iPod along when I walk by myself or with the dogs.  I feel it breaks the connection down the leash as well as the time to listen to my body.  I use walking as a meditation frequently since I don't seem to be doing well lately with sitting still and feeling present.  When we walk, the dogs and I get a chance to see and smell small changes around us and within.

This week, I walked with Gus.  He is a Silky Terrier who stays with us most of the time.  His owner is a friend who is staying at our house for a while.  She works long hours and spends most of her days off helping her family.  We get the benefit of having him when he is not with her.

Gus was a former puppy mill puppy.  Through his puppyhood and early adolescence he was kept in an 8'x8' pen with four to five other litters.  Surrounded by so many dogs, he never learned how to develop the social skills or bonding needed for mental and physical development.  His only human interaction was being kicked out of the way when someone cleaned his cage or decided to change the water and food.

When the ASPCA had enough evidence to close the mill, he was taken to a rescue in Southern Michigan.  I found him onPetFinder.com.  My friend was looking for a Yorkshire or Silky terrier but also wanted to adopt rather than go through a breeder.  We drove out to meet Gus at his foster home in late December.

I knew immediately he would be a difficult rehabilitation.  While all the other foster dogs ran to meet us at the door, Gus only peeked out from around the corner.  It took almost an hour for him to let me pet him without shaking.  My friend had decided it was love at first site.  "He's going to need a lot of work.  I can help, but it's going to be a long road. It's not too late to change your mind," I told her as we walked back to the car.  She nodded sincerely but could hardly contain her smile as she said, "I know."

His vet records said he was about eight months old.  Our vet immediately showed us he was over a year old, perhaps older.  As I've watched him over the next few weeks, I became fairly certain he was closer to two years old.

Two years.  No human contact.  No positive play or dog interaction.

 

Sheesh.

He was certain every sudden movement was to be feared.  He had no understanding of how to relate to my dogs.  He hoarded toys and socks and guarded his food.  He cowered and lowered his head every time someone tried to pick him up or pet him.  We would joke that he 'hated how much he loved' belly rubs because he would be so happy being pet, but the minute you loosened your grip or moved he would run away.  And when it came time to put on a leash he fought ferociously and would nip and yelp.

It's been six months since he first came home and hours of classical and operative conditioning.  Now he enjoys snuggling and will fall asleep in my arms.  In May he learned how to entertain himself and play by himself.  He is becoming more consistent with 'come', 'wait', and 'sit' but that's about it.  We've had quite a few rough days.  A lot of days he feels like a chore and some days I threaten to give him to a traveling circus.  We have so much more work to do together and so much more training ahead of us.

Walking with Gus this past week strangers would comment, "What a cute dog!" and "What a happy puppy!" as they passed.  I looked down at Gus prancing beside me, bright eyed with a 'smile' on his face.  I realized I am seeing what other people see: a happy terrier enjoying his daily walk along the lake.

My walking message for mindfulness:

Take the time to realize small achievements toward your goals. Reward small progresses and use this awareness to see that others are working on their stuff too.