What My Dog Has Taught Me About Scheduling, Prioritizing, and Discipline.

This is Snickers.  Snickers is a dog.  Snickers is a smart dog.  Snickers has his own social and activity schedule. We bend our wants and needs around Snicker's schedule.  

There are responsibilities that come with a pet companion, not the least of which are food, water, a safe, dry and comfortable place to sleep and affection.  Some pets come with their own set of expectations and set about training the human rather than the other way around.  This is especially true of cats and uber-intelligent dogs such as a border collie - aussie mix like Snickers.

Now, we are not newbies to the pet ownership thing (meaning that the pet takes ownership of you) as over the years there has been a veritable Noah's parade of animals that have marched through our lives.  Hamsters, mice, snakes, cats, dogs, horses, horny toads, chickens, turkeys, and geese, just to name a few, have left their mark (literally).  Of course some have been "pets" and others just chores, but they have been named (oh no, that rhode island red "Mrs. Tom Cruise" was not to be Sunday dinner!) which sanctifies them and raises their status in life.

Now, what does this have to do with an artist's organizational habits?  Well, first of all I must say that when Snickers came to live with us, there was to be no outdoor kennel and dog house for him.  He let us know, in no uncertain terms, that he would be spending his life in the house with the rest of the "pack" and sleeping on lavender scented bedding (our bed).  This means that he is up with the sun and the first order of business is a walk.  We (Snickers and I) function like, and perhaps more loyally than, the USPS in that "neither rain, nor sleet, nor dead of night shall keep us from our appointed route" and so we walk every day.  

 
It is part of Snickers well-being to have structure and dependable order and this becomes part of the discipline that orders my life.  We start the day with a walk (two miles), have breakfast (he only eats when we eat - his choice), I shower and hit the studio, he naps, we break for lunch, a few more hours in the studio, another nap for Snickers, supper and a good belly scratch (Snickers!! not me), a little TV time, then goodnight.  Occasionally we have to break the order because of travel or other commitments and Snickers is noticeably put out with the break in routine, sometimes off his chow because of it.  So, we try to keep things as consistent as possible for all our sakes.


 
It is good habit and good health that balance our lives.  We can learn a lot from our pet companions.

---