Our wonderful dog Spencer, an 11 year old Papillion, loves to shake his paw for a cookie.  We bought special healthy snacks for these special times, and they are a-plenty.  Spencer jumps up and down and barks for a cookie after each meal we eat, as we are stir our coffee (who knows how this was created), after baths, nail clippings, and just because he thinks he’s a good boy 😉

One day I tried an experiment.  Instead of a cookie, I gave him pieces of his dog food for the hand shaking.  He didn’t even notice the difference!  Interesting….  So I decided to use his dog food instead of an actual cookie for awhile.  Still he didn’t notice.

My husband felt like I was cheating Spencer out of a real treat, but I don’t think so.  First, I figured his dog food is probably healthier than so many “cookies treats all day long.  Second and most important, it’s not important to Spencer what treat he gets.  He is more interested in the process of shaking hands for a treat… 

What a powerful lesson for us?  How often do we fix our eyes on the treat and exclude the opportunity to fully experience the process or journey we are on?  Is the treat more important than your journey?  What are some ways to add that awareness and appreciation along the way?

PS Spencer still gets some “real” cookie treats