Thirty-five decisions in one minute

Ask a dog to heel and you may think you're teaching a simple walk. Some dogs treat it like a contest of minds.

Working with one Miniature Schnauzer, Aaron asked for heel. She had other ideas. In under sixty seconds she made about thirty-five decisions, roughly one every other second. She wanted to know if he was sharp enough to lead, so she flooded the moment with choice after choice, trying to overload him the way that strategy had worked on other people.

From the outside it can look like a dog who "won't listen" or "needs more reps." Up close, she was learning instantly at every failed try, then choosing the next move. When every plan met a calm counter, she burned through her sequence and gave up the fight on her own.

Small dogs can make a tremendous number of decisions that fast. The walk isn't only about the leash. It's a rapid-fire test of our awareness.