Puppy Preschool

I walked into my house about a year ago and was met at the door by my wife, Joie, our two young sons, Carter and Graham, and our family puppy, Annie. As a professional speaker, this was a bit awkward because I get home at different times. Graham broke the silence and said daddy, daddy, mom signed us up for puppy preschool. In my head I thought great, puppy preschool. That sounds expensive. What would my Grandpa think about taking a puppy to preschool?

We loaded up the van and headed off to puppy preschool where we met other families and puppies in this big warehouse looking building. The first thing I noticed was that each trainer had a pouch attached to their belt. Do you know what was in the pouch? Treats! All kinds of treats - beef, chicken, peanut butter, salmon and pepperoni flavored treats.

The first lesson they taught us at puppy preschool is to encourage your puppy. If you want your puppy to be a good part of your family, you must encourage them and reward them. It goes like this. Annie sit – treat. Annie come – treat. Annie stay – treat. Sure enough, it works, and Annie was learning to become a great part of our family. We have treats in our kitchen, living room, cars, and even in our bedrooms. We have so many treats around our house it's not unusual for me to put on a jacket or sweatshirt or reach in my pocket and find a dog treat.

Joie and I were working with Annie one afternoon in our house. Annie sit - treat. Annie come - treat. You are such a good girl - treat. Annie kennel – treat. Annie good, you're such a good girl - treat. Annie and I are going over this encouragement, this rewarding and this treating. All the sudden the door flies open and in come Carter and Graham from school. Carter peels off his backpack and throws his coat on the floor.

Carter, dude, how many times do I have to tell you hang up your coat?

Annie you're such a good girl - treat. Stay – treat.

Carter, pick up your backpack. Your backpack goes next to your coat on the hook.

Annie good girl, good girl, you're such a good girl - treat.

Graham, your shoes do not go in the middle of the floor. Pick them up.

Annie, good girl - treat.

Shut the stinking door. Were you born in a barn?

Annie good girl - treat.

Hang up your jacket, pick up your backpack, put your shoes away, shut the door.

Come on dudes.

Good girl Annie - treat!

I could feel my wife’s eyes upon me and when I turned her direction, she didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. I knew instantly. She gave me one of those stink eyes. I got that feeling in my stomach. You know that queasy feeling. Come on Matt. This is what you do for a living. I know this stuff. I teach this stuff.

It became painfully obvious I was encouraging my puppy and rewarding my puppy more than I was encouraging and rewarding my own kids. Ouch, this one hurts. Oh, the horror! Why? Why is this happening? Maybe if I could put the kids in the kennel, yeah. Or what if I put shock collars on them? Would that work? Wait, wait, I know. I know why I'm treating the boys like that, because that's how I was raised. Do I sound like my Dad? I do sound like my Dad. My Dad was more of a hands-on speaker if you know what I mean. The more I studied it and the more I thought about it, the queasier that feeling got in my stomach.

If I’m not encouraging my kids enough, am I encouraging my wife enough? What about the rest of my family? How about my friends, neighbors and coworkers? As a professional speaker, I encourage others for a living, and I wasn't doing a very good job at home.

Our family learned a bunch at puppy preschool, but what I learned is much bigger than a pouch full of pepperoni flavored treats. When you’re encouraging someone, there's no room for criticizing, condemning, complaining, gossip, bitching and moaning. Simple words and actions of encouragement push the negativity right out of the room and your life. I wasn’t encouraging others enough. How about you? Are you encouraging others enough in your life?