The Woof Meow Pet Tip at Star 977 with Don Hanson – 8-31-26 – The Importance of Being Present
< Updated 2026-08-31 >
< The link to this page – https://www.forcefreepets.com/wfmwtip-2026-08-31/ >
MIKE DOW: – Welcome to Woof Meow with Don Hanson here on Star 977. When it comes to pets, how to best care for them, how to teach them, and how to make that bond with your pet even stronger, do what so many people in Maine do: they go to Don Hanson at Green Acres Kennel Shop, 1653 Union Street in Bangor, and online at ForceFreePets.com.
DON: – Being present, often called mindfulness, simply means having your mind, senses, and attention fully anchored in the current moment. Mindfulness is essential when communicating with family members, co-workers, clients, students, and yes, even your pets. Just like any other family member or your best human friend, our pets deserve 100% of our attention when they need us or when we are teaching them something. After the break, I’ll give you some tips to help you stay focused on those you communicate with, both human and non-human.
MIKE DOW: – Since 1995, Don has owned Green Acres Kennel Shop at 1653 Union Street in Bangor, offering pet food and supplies, boarding, daycare, and grooming. Learn more at greenacreskennel.com. Don also offers education for pets and their people at forcefreepets.com.
DON: – We pay a price when we are not present. It sends a very clear message to the person or pet we are engaging with that they are NOT very important to us when we choose to ignore them in favor of that ~ping~ from our phone. If you want to be fully engaged with whoever you are talking to, please silence or turn off your smartphone and watch. Please be fully engaged with your dog at feeding time, when playing with them, or when taking them for a walk. Most importantly, if you are not focused on your dog during training, why should they remain focused on you? Every day, carve out individual time to spend with each of your dogs. For more information, read The Importance of Being Present on the ForceFreePets.com blog.
MIKE DOW: – Animal lovers listen for Woof Meow with Don Hanson each Monday at 4:20, and at various times during the week, only on Star 977
I maintain two blogs, where I write about a variety of topics related to dogs and cats, or with a “Woof and Meow” theme. You can explore either by clicking on the links below. I also often share links to articles written by others that I believe you will find interesting. If you like what you see, please subscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you think friends and family members would like what I’m writing about, please share the link. – Don Hanson, PCBA-A.
ForceFreePets Blog –
https://forcefreepets.com/blog/
Green Acres Kennel Shop Blog –
https://www.greenacreskennel.com/blog/
©Donald J. Hanson, PCBC-A, All Rights Reserved
