It’s a Dogs Life

I’ve noticed a strange animal phenomenon lately here in Cheltenham. Everyone seems to own dogs all of a sudden. The younger generation, pre-children, seem to gravitate towards possessing cute little dogs as a substitute for children. Many are held like teddies; some are led on out-swept arms. All are loved and in return, these canines, love back – unreservedly. They Continue Reading

I’ve noticed a strange animal phenomenon lately here in Cheltenham. Everyone seems to own dogs all of a sudden. The younger generation, pre-children, seem to gravitate towards possessing cute little dogs as a substitute for children. Many are held like teddies; some are led on out-swept arms.

All are loved and in return, these canines, love back – unreservedly. They adored their owners without hesitation, deviation or repetition, which is why humans are drawn to owning dogs.

Why do dogs love their owners so much? Little is known, but we do know it’s in their DNA, they’re hard-wired to follow their owners and dote over them.

Humans are slightly different. We’re not hard-wired to anything specific. Some like to aim towards greatness and goals; some like to avoid pain or discomfort. Others like risks; many would rather die than take a risk.

Some care so much about others; many don’t and really don’t worry about what other people think of them. Some strive to follow rules and procedures and rarely deviate. Many like to tread the untrodden path.

The topic of influencing rears its head. It is easy to control a dog to do your wishes, so long as they are ethical. The dog will obey and continue to adore you. It’s somewhat more tricky with humans. The secret is to decipher what drives them, what’s their motivation, how do they tick.

Armed with this, you can influence people. Not order them or manipulate them – but to influence – to gain their cooperation and for them to continue to follow you.

There are tools to help you here. I’ve put my name and reputation on a system called SDI – google it – it’s rather cool and clever. It’s a simple method of determining how and why someone does what they do. With this knowledge, you get a better handle on people and can then influence others.

I love dogs, a mans best friend. I also love people, once you’ve figured out how they roll.