What we can learn from an old dog

Allow me to introduce you to Beckett. He’s my 12 1/2-year-old Goldendoodle. Beckett is considered a large dog, at 70 pounds. In dog years he’s about 87.?

When Beckett was a young pup, he and my daughter were kicked out of the 4-H dog project. I asked the leader if she felt that they should try it again next year once they had some additional time to bond and mature. Her response, ‘I don’t think they should come back.’

Ouch.

I liken that experience to employees who made mistakes early on in their career or in a new position all-together. Should those early missteps define them for the rest of their tenure at an organization?

So back to the defining moment for Beckett (and my daughter). They didn’t let it phase them. My daughter went on to teach him his basic commands, he walks on a leash like a champ and as long as he hears you calling his name (he is getting a bit deaf), he’ll come running. ?Beckett has also been taken into hospitals, schools and nursing homes. Elevators, wheelchairs, scooters, bicycles and motorcycles are no big deal to him. Fireworks – whatever. Ten years ago, I brought him to the hospice facility where my dad was spending his final days after a long battle with cancer. My dad loved Beckett and wanted to see him. Beckett stayed by his bedside the night he died. Providing comfort and peace where the morphine couldn’t. My dad’s hand was on Beckett’s head when he took his last breath.

More recently, Beckett has visited my daughter at the University of Kentucky and hung out in the library and ROTC buildings. He’s gone to classes and fraternity parties (some fraternity brothers nicknamed him Doug). He’s provided comfort for sorority girls who just broke up with a boyfriend or were missing their dogs. Beckett doesn’t jump on anyone and will only bark when the doorbell rings.

Despite Beckett’s early 'business' set back – I think I should mention he lifted his leg on the 4-H leader’s shoe – he has truly excelled in his career as a dog. He was lucky that he had a great leader in my daughter who saw the potential in him vs. the mistakes and the negative viewpoint of what I’ll call, 'senior leadership'.

Now my question for those in a leadership position is, do you look past the mistakes and find the potential? Do you adjust your leadership style to one that works for each employee? And how do you accomplish that with multiple employees?

Fast forward to summer of 2020 and I have a new puppy who gets to go to all sorts of social-distance training classes. Beckett is feeling a bit left out, so I get him an AKC Canine Partners number for mixed breeds and take him to Canine Good Citizen classes in 2021. There he was at the top of his class and easily obtained his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) as well as his CGC – Advanced and Urban titles.

I had a classmate ask why I was investing my time and money on training for an old dog. My response, because he enjoys learning and he has a lot to give. It keeps him young. ??

This summer, Beckett (and my younger dog) started running Fast Cat . Essentially a 100-yard dash chasing a lure. And no, not every dog will do it. Beckett is not the fastest dog at these events. He consistently runs 17, sometimes 18 mph. Compared to the other All-American dogs (mixed breed) across the country, he’s ranked at 812 out of about 922 . But he is the most enthusiastic when it comes to performing this late-in-life occupation. This past weekend, Beckett eared another milestone at the Badger Kennel Club rally – his FastCat-D title. And as you can see by the picture, he is quite proud of his accomplishment.

My final question for those in leadership positions is this, do you still take into account the potential contributions of older workers – young boomers who still enjoy working, all of Gen-X and older millennials? Are you investing the time and money into their development, despite their age? Are you giving their applications the same time and attention as someone half their age, or are you overlooking them as someone who will only be at your organization for a few years, and not worth hiring?

Beckett will continue to participate in Fast Cat as long as he is enjoying it and the vet says it’s okay. He’ll visit my mom and her friends in the assisted living facility every Sunday. And I’m thinking of officially pursuing his Therapy Dog title. After all, even old dogs have a lot to contribute.

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