Adjusting to new circumstances

 It takes time to adjust to new circumstances. 

Last Tuesday I arrived at midday to the farm. I had driven almost 8 hours, including crossing an international border. I had followed Google Map to get me to my destination. 

After I arrived, I was being introduced to the farm animals and the farm itself. It was my first time visiting. These introductions included meeting the chickens, ducks, dogs and donkeys. All of these encounters were new to me.

After 3 days I was left to look after the farm animals with on-call support. I was processing an avalanche of new information, here is a preliminary sample of information and activities to learn about the big guardian dogs:

THE BIG DOGS

1. Don't let the big dogs out of the barnyard without their harness and leash
1. Only take out one dog at a time
1. Put the harness on the dog with the coloured strap on top and the buckle on the port side of the dog
2. The dogs are still learning to be relaxed around the chickens and ducks
1. Let them get close enough to satisfy their curiosity, not close enough to get activated into prey drive
3. The dogs have a set daily walk around the perimeter of the property, they are not walked off the property
1. They may pick up on a scent that activates their guardian or prey drive
1. Each dog weighs over 100 lb and can exert a strong pull, don't be caught off guard
2. There are certain areas (near the neighbours fence on the west edge of the property and down by the river) where the dogs are likely to be activated by scents of wild animals
1. Don't let the dog pull you into the blackberries or slip, or trip on roots beside the river
4. On different days, each dog has time to spend at the front of the house, which they consider a treat
1. The younger dog needs to be tethered on a long line because she is able to jump the front yard fence if she is inclined
2. The older, bigger dog is not likely to try to jump the fence, he may try to get into the house
2. Both dogs require affection at least once, more likely twice, a day
1. This is part of their training and breed, the affection bonds them to their humans and their sense of duty to guard the inhabitants of their human's world
1. Affection time is primarily done on the bench in front of the barn under the barn porch roof
1. Usually the donkeys are eating at their feeder while dogs get affection so there is no donkey intrusion
2. Feeding time is usually pretty quiet - nocturnal wild life has gone quiet for the morning and has not started up in the late afternoon
3. Each dog has specific affection preferences
1. Older, bigger dog likes a solid rump scratch and some time spent on his ears, shoulders and under his chin
2. Younger dog likes to lick my face, and likes to be scratched around her ears, shoulders and chest
4. As they become sated for affection, both dogs slump against my legs and end up sprawled on the porch patio stones
3. When the dogs perceive a threat they get activated, starting with barking
1. If the threat escalates, they run to the fence, trying to get to the source of their threat perception
1. When they are frustrated by the fence and thwarted in their forward momentum, they can redirect on each other and have a short tussle to vent their energy
1. They will not injure each other
2. Depending on the source of the perceived threat, they may charge the back fence or charge off through the pasture
4. The big dogs are fed twice a day from a bin of dog food in the hay stall
1. The biggest dog is given two scoops of food
1. Big Dog is fed in his own stall
1. He has a history of food reactivity but has not been a problem for some time
2. He has a good appetite and is always happy to eat all his food
2. The younger dog is given one and a half scoops of food
1. Young Dog is fed in her own stall
1. So far she has shown no interest in the morning feeding
1. When I tried shutting her in her stall so she could eat uninterrupted she was not happy, it did not help
2. She has had a good appetite for the afternoon feeding when there is scrambled egg or a 1/4 of a can of wet food mixed in with the dry
1. She has been cleaning her bowl for the afternoon feeding
2. I have been closing the stall gate on Big Dog while he eats to re-assure her she will eat in peace without unwanted interruption from Big Dog
3. For the morning feeding I have stopped trying to get Young Dog to eat, knowing she will get a good feeding in the evening; I offer her the food, but if she does not take it, I put it back in the bin and give her affection instead
1. She is looking healthy and happy, not stressed, so maybe she is going through a low growth phase and doesn't have the same appetite as before

There is more to write about the big dogs, even from this short introduction to the animals. Other animal-related topics include:

THE DONKEYS - Female, Senior Male, Orphaned Male, Young Male

THE CHICKENS - about 30 chickens

THE DUCKS - at least 6 ducks, maybe more

THE LITTLE DOGS - 2 tiny house dogs - Senior Female, Young Female

Then there is information and activity to learn and process about the house, the yard, and the gates. The gates are essential and mission critical. Failure to manage the gates can result in property damage, lost animals and even loss of animal life.

When we are thinking about the time it takes to adjust to new circumstances we can think about each dimension of this process:

1. Time can refer to minutes, hours, days and even weeks, depending on the quantity and quality of new information and activities we are processing.
2. Adjusting refers to the internal processing that is activated by new experiences, that is, new inputs (what we are seeing, hearing, feeling/touching, tasting, smelling) we are perceiving, interpreting, and saving in terms of significance.
3. What is new? New is any experience that extends our senses: from what we know and what we are familiar with to incorporate these new sensations, awareness and understanding.
4. Circumstances refers to the conditions of our external surroundings that are generating new inputs for internal processing.

It is quiet on this rainy morning. Young Dog is getting affection, donkeys are at the feeder and Big Dog is in his stall cleaning out his bowl.

Tomorrow I am back on the freeway to drive home and my time on the farm will end for the time being.

We need to be careful to apply realistic expectations on ourselves when we are in new circumstances. Notice how many new people, animals, environments, processes and deliverables we are taking in and making sense. We need to give ourselves time to make adjustments without putting unrealistic pressure on ourselves to perform as if we have done this particular work before. We need to be as kind to ourselves as we would be to a young orphaned donkey who doesn't know how to connect.