#HAPPYTEACHERSDAY

SHIBI’s DIARY

My name is SHIBI, I am 6 months old Beagle puppy and this is my diary. In this diary, I shall write about my life.  You may question, ‘Can dogs write? What stories do they have to tell? They only eat, sleep and bark.’

‘Yess…Why dogs cannot have stories? Are we not living beings? Do we not go through tough times? Is our life honky-dory always as they show in movies?’

Click here to read all stories of SHIBI

https://www.storyberrys.com/category/shibi-diary/

Part 12: SHIBI goes for Training!

What is the difference between ‘Learning’ and ‘Training’?  According to me, the basic difference between the two is, that learning is a self-driven process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences, while training is imparted by a knowledgeable person to do a particular job.

So what about me? Don’t I have a learning ability just because I am an animal?

In fact, my learning graph is higher than human babies. On daily basis, I am learning how to live with humans. It’s me who has come to their family leaving my siblings and parents. It’s me who has adjusted to their way of life, and humans think, it’s they who are adjusting to us.

When my Momma gives lectures on ‘Diversity and Inclusivity’  I always wonder, why she excludes animals from that. Why we animals are on mercy of Humans? This planet is home to every living being, and we all must co-exist, not only in discussions but in true spirit.

So coming to ‘Learning and Training’, why I am talking about it? Because one day Big-Bro and Papa decided that Shibi needs special training to live with them, and they must hire a trainer.

Momma was sceptical though, she said, ‘Shibi understands every word I tell her. Even she understood that day when I was planning to send her to the dog -centre. What the trainer is going to teach her? ‘SIT, BRING, FETCH….’ She knows everything, only she is moody, and she will obey only when she feels like it. She is also a living being, we cannot make her like a robot to follow everything we tell her. Don’t spend money on all that.’

I had no clue how the training would be. I agreed with Momma that I understand every word of the humans, but then Momma always brings money whenever it is about me. Woof, Woof!

But Big-Bro was adamant that Shibi must be trained on basics, and after a few days, a dog trainer came to meet us. Big-Bro had a long discussion with him, I liked the trainer very much for so many dogs smells coming from his clothes. His name was Keshav.

Keshav came very early the next morning, and my training started. I liked the training sessions very much as he used to give me a lot of treats. For every action of mine, one small treat. The sessions were very engaging. I looked forward to seeing him every morning.

The commands he taught – SIT, SHAKE, DOWN, UP and in the end SEARCH.

Momma was still not very convinced about the training, she told Big-Bro, ‘Shibi knows all these commands, the only difference is I tell her in Hindi, and the trainer is teaching in English.’

But Big Bro was very much excited about the training, and so was I.

After a few days, Keshav had a long discussion with Momma and Papa. It seems he was not much happy with my progress. He insisted that Momma and Papa must participate in the training, and make sure that they give practice sessions to me later.

After Keshav left, Momma claimed, ‘I thought the trainer would teach you everything but now it seems, it is on us to teach you, just like human schools where finally parents have to teach. No difference at all!’

So the next day onwards, the training sessions started for Momma and Papa also, Keshav trained Momma and Papa how to give commands, but I hardly paid any attention to them.

Later Momma was very upset, she said, ‘Look at SHIBI. She hardly takes us seriously. She only listens to her trainer. Once the trainer is gone, she forgets all the commands.’

Papa smiled, ‘Kids always take their teacher seriously! She is also doing the same.’

The training sessions continued for a month, and then Keshav stopped coming. I missed him, our morning sessions, and of course the bounty of treats.

For the next few days, Momma and Papa tried to take my sessions but soon they gave up, for I was very playful, and hardly listened to them.

‘Shibi SIT…, SHIBI DOWN….’, Momma would shout at me many times in a day, and every time I would run away, and then she would shout at Big-Bro, ‘I told you not to waste money on her training, I know how these pieces of training are..!’

So did I learn? Did I got trained?

My training was executed perfectly, I enjoyed the sessions, and my trainer was very good, but I don’t use what I was taught in the training anymore… Do you resonate with me..?

We learn from our experiences …! Woof…Woof…!

SHIBI, the Beagle