I love to help people with their dogs. I've worked with tons of fear-based aggression, including my own dog, Patch.

Most of the dogs are easy to work with. It is the owners that are fickle. 

"So, what can you do for my fear-based aggressive dog?"

"Well, I would start by saying that you need to teach the dog basic obedience commands."

"Oh no, that will never work. I've already tried it." 

Wait, why did you call me again? 

What I had to explain to her is that there is no magic pill or 6 minute solution for dog training. It takes time, effort and consistency. She fought me, claiming that this dog is the next Lassie (not the first time I've heard a client say this, mind you) and that there must be some way to "cure" the dog of her aggression. 

I pointed her in the direction of a trainer I went to school with, who lives in her area and went on with my day. 

I started thinking about some of my dog training clients back in the day. The best was G.W., a teacup Yorkie who weighed all of three pounds on a fat day. His name, by the way, is Gee Dubya, named for the best president ever, his owner scolded me upon introductions. I avoided making snide comments about our president, considering I lived in Texas at the time, and went about showing G.W. and his owners around the facilities. 

The whole time we toured the facilities, Earl, G.W.'s owner, carried G.W. in the crook of his arm. G.W. looked rather content there, never flinching. We sat at a picnic bench and I began my usual schpeal in the best Texas drawl I could muster.

"Is there a particular reason or incident that has brought you to seek training?" 

"Well, everytime I do this (Earl sets G.W. down on the grass) he does this (G.W. goes sprinting, as much as a teacup Yorkie can, towards the field located south of us)." 

I popped to my feet and watched for a minute, praying that a hawk wouldn't mistake G.W. for food, calculating exactly how to handle such a situation. Earl watched me, waiting for me to make the right decision. 

It took an hour to corral G.W. It took me, two other trainers, and the maintenance guy to do so. All the while, Earl just watched, stoicly, while Linda, his wife, filed her pink nails. 

I walked back to Earl, G.W. pinned between my arm and ribs, trying my best to smile my I'm-totally-calm-and-collected smile. Apparently, G.W. had never in his seven years worn a leash or collar, nor had a lick of obedience training. Earl, however, had seen a show on television about search and rescue. 

"I want G.W. to be a search and rescue dog, just like those patriotic dogs at the WTC." 

Such a sticky spot. G.W. may have been able to search for termites or vermin, but it is unlikely that G.W. would have been able or would have wanted to search through rubble or disaster type situations to look for victims. I'm not suggesting that teacup Yorkies can't do it. I'm just saying that based on G.W.'s showing of obedience, it was going to take a lot of magic wands. 

I explained the amount of obedience and drive it takes for a dog to be search and rescue ready. 

"I'll leave him here for four weeks, how 'bout." 

It took a lot of convincing and even a search and rescue dog demo to convince Earl that G.W. just needed some basic obedience training before considering his career in search and rescue. 

The point is, there isn't a magic fix. For anything. I could have tried to train G.W. search and rescue, but needed a secure foundation first. He needed to learn how to wear a leash before searching for victims. We eventually did some search and rescue for fun. He was terrible at it, but it sure made Earl happy. 

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that on a daily basis I feel inundated as a consumer by quick fixes. Quick fixes for weight loss, for financial freedom, for dog training. 

I always ask myself, am I putting the cart before the horse with these quick fixes? Am I trying to train G.W. to do search and rescue before learning to wear a leash? 

And you know what the trouble is, it seems too easy. Oh, reduce calories and exercise and you will lose weight. Oh, stop spending more than you earn. It sounds so easy. Uncomplicated. I'm not claiming it is easy. No way. I know how hard it is, believe me. Every day, I wake up and the first thing I think about is, Will I succeed today? Will I eat something fatty and high in calories? Will I work out? Or will I buy into a quick fix? 

The thing about quick fixes is that they are rarely quick, or easier than whatever process you are trying to avoid. 

"Alright, G.W. let's go find some victims. Ready? Oh, damn, wait, come back here, let me put that leash on you..."

The other day I found myself falling. Falling into a quick fix. I started searching some diet program I had read about in a magazine. I wrote down the book name and even planned on going to the book store with Mr. Shortpants after work. Then I read about some new pill for weight loss. I thought to myself, I'm going to buy this pill. I'll lose the weight this way.

Whoa, How Many Miles, I thought you got off the diet train. I thought you were trying to live healthy instead of letting diets and supposed quick fixes determine your self worth and esteem?"

I know, right. It sent me into a reeling of rituals. 

Ohmigod, I've gained 10 pounds. I must be stupid, ugly, fat, and need to start some sort of program that is going to make me lose it quick, lose it fast, 21 days to freedom, 30 minute plastic surgery options, pills that give you abs, you know the sell. We have all been subject to it as consumers.

And yeah, that's right, I've gained 10 pounds since the marathon. I weigh 222 pounds. But I'm owning it. I had some delicious ice cream at lunch with a friend today. Did I have the gigantic I'm-gonna-marry-it size? No. I had the little one. Still as delicious. But not deprived. 

Even though I hate the fact that I gained ten pounds, I'm going to hate myself more if I try to quick fix it. I'm going to keep running, laughing and eating. But I'm going to try and do it in a healthy way. And I'm going to try and not beat myself up. I'm worth more than that. And really, life is worth more than that.

Because quick fixes won't teach G.W. how to search for victims.

And I think everyone is happy about that fact.