Let's Say You're a Dog. Are You So Competitive You'd Eat a Carrot?

Seems like a gal always learns something out on the farm! Yes, it's a farm tale and I'm going to change the names of the animals to protect the guilty!

I spent last weekend down in Lower Alabama where my friend from high school owns a farm. On the neighboring property there lives a donkey we'll call "Jake." On my friend's property there lives a dog - his dog - we'll call "Spot."

Okay, not too original, but it serves the purpose.

So as night falls, the evening ritual is to go out and feed the animals.

Out we go, 3 large carrots in hand - well, his hand. His wife and I are just watching. My friend calls to Jake who, having 5 acres to roam, is nowhere in sight. Spot is circling around my friend, jumping up, spinning around. I'm sure you've seen this. Spot has been trained not to bark, but he's doing every other thing he can to attract attention, and acting ecstatic. Over a carrot??

"Jake's so jealous, he'll actually eat a carrot," says my friend, as we walk along.

Now, I've owned a couple of dogs in my day. You probably have too. Never did I have one who would eat a carrot. In fact it was a family fun time to watch one dog called Shy Nell when we would put vegetable soup in her dog dish for a treat - Campbells, canned. She'd dive in and 2 seconds later walk away with nothing left in the bowl - I mean not even a lick of gravy - except for the carefully out-selected squares of carrot.

"Pretty discriminating tongue," I'd tell my son. "Imagine being able to select out those bits of carrot without fingers!"

"I hate carrots too," he would reply.

We can hear Jake making his way through the underbrush, and hear the breathing. Then my friend starts raising his voice, calling, and Jake starts his braying, to answer. When the three meet - my friend, Jake, and Spot, Jake gets his head and back rubbed, and lots and lots of marvelous attention. And there sits Jake, even willing to eat a carrot in order to be included.

Take home points for you?

  • Paired-conditioning is powerful

  • If you're eating a "carrot" make sure what you're doing it for is worth it

  • You're a person, ask for what you want, don't accept the substitute

  • Remain mindful, lest the "carrot" become the only reward, and something you don't want, you just don't want someone else to have it!

The Golden Handcuffs, of course - when you're working for the money, but the rest of it just isn't worth it.

Or when you're competing for a girl, a job, a promotion, a house ... and get so lost in the competition, you aren't mindful of whether the "catch" is what you really want. Don't end up working for your ego, not your heart.

Be mindful!

About The Author

© Susan Dunn, MA, cEQc, The EQ Coach?, http://www.susandunn.cc. Bringing the power of Emotional Intelligence to YOUR life through coaching, eBooks, and distance learning. Midlife, retirement and transition coaching, career and relationships. Email for free EQ ezine. Want to be a certified EQ Coach? Email for information on this fast, affordable, comprehensive, no-residency program. Products available for licensing to build your practice. Visit the best ebook library on the Internet - http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Coaching Information:

Related Articles

Are YOU a Dreamer?
This morning I watched a news article about a young woman who had just set a world record for sailing across the English Channel. What was special about this Channel crossing? The sailor, Hilary Lister, is a quadriplegic who steered the boat by blowing through two straws.
The Difference Between Approval and Appreciation
Having worked with individuals, couples, families and business partners for 35 years, helping them learn to resolve conflict, I have often been faced with the difficulties that occur when people are confused about the difference between approval with appreciation. Have you ever wondered about the difference between approval and appreciation? Most of us have never actually thought about it, yet if we do think about it, we realize that we feel very differently when we receive approval as opposed to receiving appreciation.
Courage and the Agony of Coaching Employees
Coaching employees on sensitive and personal topics like performance or contribution to the organization can be as difficult and agonizing as telling a young son or daughter about sex for the first time. You end up playing the same mental games in your head over and over again: "What should they be told? How much do they already know? (Or how much do they want me to think they know?) How much detail should I go into?" If you are unable to answer any of these penetrating questions, you tend to put the task off for another six months.
Happiness and Work: Your Life Depends On It.
Early one morning, Robert awoke, made his wife of 41 years some banana bread, took out the garbage and called to cancel a doctors appointment scheduled for the next day. He wrote a note to remind his wife to pick up the dry cleaning.
Using Audio Programs to Increase Your Knowledge and Productivity
If you do any significant amount of driving, a simple thing you can do to increase your productivity is to listen to audio programs in your car. If your commute time to work is 45 - 60 minutes each way, you can easily listen to at least 1 book each week.
Resolving Conflicts Effectively
Every relationship has conflicts. In some relationships, conflict is a serious problem; in others, differences seem to be resolved without creating a major incident.
Coaching: Change Made Simple
Here's a story that I think gets at why we have such difficulty with change.I was 8 years old and my parents gave me a dollar to go to the toy store with my best friend and his mom.
9 Guidelines For Spiritual Coaching
Spirituality coaching is more than creating goals and holding someone accountable. Spirituality coaching takes into account the whole person, that is, mind, body and spirit.
Nourishing Your Network
It takes less effort to keep an existing customer than to gain a new customer.This is Business 101.
Coaching for Success
Coaching is perhaps the most effective method of increasing performance available to managers, team leaders, and colleagues. This article defines coaching and outlines a process for effective coaching.
The Real Truth About Working Smarter, Not Harder
Running a business or department can often stretch you to the limit.To be effective at doing what you do best, it's imperative to look at what tasks you can either delegate or outsource.
Success Secrets - The #1 Money Secret I Learned from Interviewing Over 23 Millionaires
All over the Net, people are asking you to pay them for 'get rich' secrets, all the 'systems' have different names. Have you ever asked yourself this question, how many of them are really rich? Maybe a few, right?Wouldn't it be refreshing the learn money making secrets from ones who have documentation to back up there success? Then you know they are legit.
After July 8, Pay This Amount
You undoubtedly go through this, too. A few times a month you gather up the bills coming due and write checks or pay them online.
Taking The Coach Approach
When you use what you go through to grow through, you take the coach approach. I am suggesting that you hire your own counsel.
The Benefits of Coaching
When I was first introduced to the profession of personal coaching, my first initial thought was that it sounded exactly like something I would love to pursue. I did further investigation into the profession and before I knew it I was happily enrolled in the Coach Training Program offered through Coach U University in Colorado, USA.
How to Make $100,000 as a Personal Trainer
In the movie, "The Gladiator," Emperor Commodus' rose to power early on because he realized what was most important to the people of Rome. Most would believe influence would be gained by the accumulation of wealth and fame.
How to Jump-start Your Emotional Health
You've probably heard the expression: "It's not what you're eating. It's what's eating you!" This well-known saying reminds us that the thoughts we entertain can have an impact on our health.
Are You A Work Addict?
Work addiction is very common in our society today, yet it is not one that is not highly recognised.An interesting article in the March edition of The Success Report published by Success Technologies stated:"Of all the addictions receiving attention today (including alcohol, drugs, gambling and food) work addiction is perhaps the least recognised and possibly the most dangerous.
Controlling Behavior, Loving Behavior
When Zack and Tiffany started counseling with me, they were on the verge of divorce after 16 years of marriage. Neither really wanted to end the marriage, yet both were miserable.
You Have The Right
The other day I was having a interesting conversation with an acquaintance, but it soon turned out to be surprising and unpleasant. The other person blurted out an unwelcome comment, in a tactful manner by pin pointing a personal issue within the conversation.