Why Do You Keep Doing It That Way?

aka Are you smarter than my dog?

Lines on the lawn.

I was mowing the lawn today. I feel extremely satisfied when I drive through the neighborhood and our lawn is one of the nicer looking ones. I have always enjoyed the symmetry of the lines created on a freshly mowed lawn. Much like when rotating tires, my stepfather taught me years ago that when you mow the lawn you should go a different direction each time. Horizontal, Diagonal, Vertical, Diagonal.

Each mowing a different direction. He, who owned a landscaping business for years, explained this helps the growth of the grass. Who am I to argue with an expert? I mowed in opposite directions each time. Sometimes I didn't remember which direction I had mowed previously and the grass had grown enough to not be able to discern but I tried my best.

And then there were hills.

Using a push mower (even a gas powered one) on a hill isn't that fun. And, as the weather gets hotter and more humid, I stop caring if it's the week to go diagonally or vertically, I'm just happy to get it done. And you know what I observed? Going the same direction every week hasn't impacted the growth of the grass one iota. Heck, at this point, I'd be happy if it slowed the growth of the grass.

What does this have to do with my dog?

My dog and kid were, for the most part, raised in Utah. Utah has an average precipitation of about 19 inches of moisture a year. Atlanta, Georgia - 51 inches. Neither my son nor my dog like rain very much.

When its raining, I noticed that my dog will head outside, go around the table and chairs on the patio and head back to the door. He did this because he's learned that 1. I will push him outside rain or not and, 2. I will watch him so he has to move away from the door before I will let him in.

After watching him circle the table twice while not doing anything else, I told him he had to go and to move along and I would not let him in. So, the next time he ran and circled a tree. When he realized I was watching him not take care of business, he headed over to the side of the house (where I can't see him)....usually by this time he realizes that he's outside till he uses the outdoor facilities and he'll resignedly do so.

My dog figured out that he has to change his behavior to get what he wants.

He wants to be back inside out of the rain. What is it you want? If what you're doing isn't working, do something differently. As (possibly) Einstein said: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Next house, this is what my yard will look like and I won't need to worry about which direction to mow.

I'd love if you shared a time you realized you could change from what had always been done just because it was the way it had always been done and the results.