Back to the next training class with our dog Leaf. We have been amazed at how much he remembers from the beginner's class. The hardest thing he has to learn for this one is to pay attention and keep working through distractions.

While we did his sit-down-sit command, the instructor used increasing levels of distraction. We had to keep ourselves and Leaf focused on the task at hand. The toughest one, of course, if you remember his fixation, was when she made noise with a squeaky toy. Even the lure of treats was not enough for our boy as the sounds called to him.

This experience got us to talking about our levels of distraction. What pulls us away from achieving our goals? What seems more appealing at the time than following the command to fulfill our purpose in life?

Deep questions precipitated by one more experience with a dog named Leaf.