The moans and groans of Bree

Do dogs get bored? Bree certainly does, and she’s not shy about telling everyone.

Bree never ceases to amaze me…

When you spend every day with a dog, there are things you observe which make you shake your head. As a guide dog, Bree has been trained to tolerate many different scenarios, such as large crowds, loud noises, and food distractions. She’s been trained, but sometimes the training goes out the window, especially the food distraction bit.
One trait she has which is amusing is she moans and groans at the most auspicious moments. She can tolerate sitting or lying in the same spot on the floor for about one hour before she lets you know she’s bored.

The first time I encountered this was when I was attending a day-long workshop. The workshop was intense, with extended periods of sitting down and listening. The timing of a comedian, Bree moaned very loudly right when the facilitator asked a question.

Another time was when I was working as a facilitator. Every time my co-facilitator spoke, Bree would let the world know she was absolutely bored and wanted things to move along so she could do more interesting things.

In my current employment role, I attend Board meetings and they can go for a few hours. On odd occasions, there’s a low, strained moan, like the sound of a balloon slowly going down.

My favourite incident was when my wife and I went to a community meditation class at our local library. For me, meditation is generally hit and miss. Sometimes, I get distracted with the gentle sound of the air conditioning, whereas other times, I’m off with the fairies, completely relaxed.

At this one time, I decided to lay on the floor, rather than sit on the chair. Bree lay next to me.

The sessions can go for twenty or thirty minutes. Bree thought better and decided half way through to set off the loudest moan I have ever heard from her, in a room completely silent. Then she decided to do some dog yoga and proceeded to do some lunging stretches, disrupting the whole class.

I haven’t been for a while, but if I did, I think I’ll leave Bree home.
 
So, what did I learn?
​
Some dogs have a short tolerance to boredom like humans. Bree takes it to a whole new and entertaining level.

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