Lessons From My Father

At one time in my journey with family dogs, we had two half-Mastiff, half-Great Dane puppies. My dad took Tommi and I took Taasi to obedience school when they were puppies, while we had a hope that we could control them.

It was January when we started our once a week class. When it was especially snowy and cold, I would want to skip outside practice. With two 50 pound puppies, we had nowhere inside to practice. He would taunt me that if we didn’t practice, he and Tommi would just be better than Tassi and me.

I think of my dad pushing me to practice in-between classes. Every Sunday I take Tevye to Lowe’s to practice there. They are dog friendly, the aisles are wide, and we can get in a lot of steps.

The Sunday of Memorial Week-end I thought of my dad’s work ethic. I pushed myself to take Tevi and practice. At Lowe’s I pulled into a more remote spot. Before I could get out of the car I felt a thud.

Have you ever watched a store employee collect carts? My car had been hit by a long-snake-like-line-of-grocery-carts. It’s as if they want to make the least amount of trips so they collect the most amount of carts at one time. And this time he lost control of the snake.

$1,400 damage was done. We are still in the process of following the process. We left our perch on the deck that day to “practice” because I could hear Herbie taunting me.

Do you go the extra mile?

ASK LESLIE

Stay on Your Cutting Edge

After taking my dogs to “obedience” training for decades, I have come to believe that it is the owner that is being trained.

In this brief video, Susan Jenkins, canine title holder and owner of Papp’s Dog Training, talks about dogs and their owners. Her yellow lab, Kai, has been on the cover of 8 American Greeting cards.

You can watch her on my upcoming Forum 360 show, details at the bottom of my newsletter.

Perspectives from Paris

1. The Tree of a Thousand Voices



After you cross over to the Left Bank from the Louvre, you will come across a very new piece of art: a chrome-colored tree, about 32 feet high. The tree is made of hundreds of books made of steel that shimmers, the pages seem to fly away although they don’t go anywhere! To the artist Daniel Hourde, “L'Arbre aux Mille Voix" is a metaphor for the fragility of freedom of thought and expression.

Lesson Learned: In a city full of art, an artist can still create something we have not seen or felt. The movement in The Tree of a Thousand Voices uses literary foliage to signify resistance to adapt, the ability to bend but not break. In a world where it seems at times that everything has already been done, here is something new.

How can you innovate, come up with something new?

2. Everyone Can Look Famous

One of the fun things about Paris is that the “average” Parisian, to me, looks like a super model. Window shopping on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, we walked into a designer store. I stumbled upon a customer, your “average” Parisian. She looked so amazingly stunning, I asked her if I could take her photo. She said yes, as long as she could hide her face since she was not wearing make-up.

Lesson Learned:  You can see her easy solution, she simply held up her phone as if she was taking a selfie. The coat she was wearing was as magnificent as the clothes in the French luxury stores. Americans do errands in leggings and here she was looking fabulous. Do you see an opportunity around every corner?

3. Every Sight is a Photo Opp

I recently met a young college woman going to Europe for a year. She wasn’t sure if she would go to Paris, had heard mixed reviews. I told her “you can’t have a bad time in Paris, you just can’t." Once you accept their attitude, everything else is wonderful. Every sight, every café, every pastry, every corner you come around, you can’t have a bad time in Paris.

Lesson Learned: Apparently you can’t take a bad photo in Paris either. With my limited skills I snapped this photo of the Pont Alexandre III bridge over the Seine. It is considered the most beautiful bridge in Paris. I think my photo looks like a postcard. What is something you can do well that you didn’t think you could do?

I have a Sunday morning routine with Benji. I call it Walk & Weigh. We go for our daily 2 mile walk and then go to Metro Veterinary Hospital for our weekly weigh-in. Because Benji has a heart murmur I am especially careful that his weight gain stays minimal.

Every week I look forward to seeing the different dog breeds in the reception area waiting to be called. The scale is situated by the registration desk. Recently, as I am weighing him, I hear a man behind me come to the desk. He tells registration that if anyone sees his dog in the truck, the air conditioning is on. The registration person tells him he is welcome to bring the dog inside.

He said, “no the dog would be better off waiting in the truck”. I turn around to see a fairly large bearded tank-topped man. The registration person again invites his dog inside, and he says no. I kind of assume that he has a big, BIG, dog.

As I walk to my car, two spaces away is a big, black Ram truck. With super-sized tires the car is sitting even higher than it normally would. Standing on back paws is the dog he referenced. It was a Chihauha.

I brought ill and preconceived perceptions as to what breed of dog this man owned. Between his size, reference to his truck, and not wanting to bring the dog inside, I decided it was a big, BIG dog.

What preconceived perceptions do you have that may be inaccurate?

Video and Vino

July 31, 5pm - 7pm

September 11, 5pm - 7pm

We would be excited to have you join us at this unique session. Each participant will be taped, we will play it back, make suggestions, and tape you again. You will see immediate improvement!

You learn by doing and by observing others. Guess what? You have fun throughout the process!

• This session will prepare you to be ready for your time in the spotlight whether it is in person, on TV, a podcast, Tik-Tok, YouTube or Zoom.
• Leave with VINO and a gift bag!

HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership

Next Session

July 12, 9am - 4pm

Welcome to the wonderful world of HorseTalk where magnificent 4-legged creatures will teach you more about your communication and leadership skills than you could learn in a decade . . . or even a lifetime.

If you can lead a horse, you can lead anyone.

• Are you ready to learn something new in a new way?
• Are you tired of zoom sessions and getting continuing ed credits through remote learning?  

This hands-on day of educational escapism will help you see yourself through someone else’s eyes. This someone else just happens to be a horse.

Awesome Group of Adventurous People!

You could be one of a carefully chosen group of special people who will share this day together. We keep this a small group so: 

1. You get much individual attention
2. You receive the benefit of observing others and learn through these observations
3. You have the ability to learn at your own pace

When: Friday, July 12 9:00 AM – 4 PM

Come yourself or come with a team.

Where: An Arabian Horse Farm in Richfield, Oh

HorseTalk is offered four times in 2024:

• June 7 - had 8 participants, great success
• July 12
• August 23
• October 11

Email us at [email protected] for more information or to RSVP to one of our events.

Ask me about my 10 in 10!