When I began training and competing with my dog in agility, I made a rookie dog trainer mistake. I wasn’t consistent, and my dog was getting confused. One day, my trainer said, “For a dog, one time means all the time. Every time you let them do something new, they’re just going to keep on doing it.”
Now, as silly as it sounds, that came to mind a couple of weeks ago when my wife, a creature of routine and habit, did the same thing.
We were invited to attend Thanksgiving with family, and Joi’s training kicked in instantly—
“I like going to their home, but what about leftovers? I like leftovers?”
Now, as a guy who has experienced Joi’s “No eating out at the restaurant until all the leftovers are gone” rule, I knew this was a big issue. But, like a good husband, I got out of the way and let her figure it out.
A couple of weeks later, after enjoying a nice day, I watched as Joi carried her share of leftovers to the car, thinking to myself, “Good. She got her leftovers.” Boy, was I wrong—
Joi came home from the gym the following day, headed for the kitchen, and started cooking – LEFTOVERS! She wasn’t re-heating them. She had purchased a small turnkey and all the ingredients she needed to keep with her routine for the weekend. At that moment, I couldn’t control the look on my face.
“What? I like leftovers, and I look forward to it. It’s what I do, and it makes me happy.”
Like a good husband, I didn’t say a word. My only thought was, I guess we’re not having pizza tonight.
Do leftovers make you happy? Not really. YOU make you happy. Do what you do. We can always have pizza next weekend.