Karma's Kolumn: Good Advice from a Dog -- Solving Problems

Recently I was asked by someone on Patch what I think about sewers.  I replied that I really don't know anything about sewers, which is true.  I am very fastidious by nature and I do what I need to do outside and far from the house.  The one time I had an accident indoors, I was quite ashamed and didn't even want to be in the same room. 

Rather than write about sewers, I thought it might be helpful if I offered my advice about how to solve problems based on my own personal experience.  When I go outside, I spend a great deal of time sniffing around to find out whether there have been squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, turkeys, dogs, cats or unfamiliar people around.  I do this slowly and methodically so that I can gather as much accurate information as I can.  This is sometimes quite time consuming.  I follow my nose and often don't even look up. 

I have very keen hearing and listen for sounds in every direction, whether I'm lying leisurely on the lawn outside or am indoors.  I can hear people walking their dogs on the street or riding their bicycles.  When the mail truck stops at my neighbors' mail boxes down the street, I start barking.  I hear car doors open and close, squirrels scampering around and turkeys waddling across the street. There's one radio program with a man named Carl Kasell that has little beeps that sound like a doorbell ringing.  I bark so we can answer the door.  And when visitors come, I hear them coming up the path to the back door and bark to greet them.  In other words, I'm a good listener.

As I've told you before, I've been known to escape and run all over the neighborhood, even though that's against the law.  I did this again earlier this week when I heard a turkey.  I tugged so hard that I pulled the leash out of my owner's hand, hurting one of her fingers.  Besides enjoying the freedom of running loose, I also have the opportunity to observe things from a wide range of new perspectives.  This way I can more accurately assess a situation.

My advice to people for solving problems is that you do a good job of nosing around and investigating the facts, that you listen very carefully to and try to understand every possible perspective, and that you don't keep your mind tightly controlled on a leash.  When your mind is on a leash, you will not be able to listen closely and see other people's points of view.  Ideally, when you solve a problem, the solution should be a synthesis of everyone's point of view so that everyone feels satisfied with the outcome.  There will need to be some compromise, of course, but people will be a lot happier if their concerns are incorporated into the solution.

So use your nose, use your ears, and let your mind run off the leash that prevents it from thinking creatively.  Do let me know if you have any questions and also whether this method works for you.