Day 1561

Our Golden Halo will do pretty much anything for the approval and love of their humans! They will even do more for a treat! When they all come in from outside, they wait patiently for their reward.

Intrinsic rewards are the best, but those extrinsic ones work even better…for a time. As an educator, I used a fair share of stickers and small rewards for a job well done. It was never dangled in front of an educational opportunity, but more of a reward after a job was well done. Even with my pups, we start off strong, with treats for getting close to an objective, but replace them for praise and love over time.

Of course, most of us would leave an occupation if there were no money attached. We might even look elsewhere if the pay did not match the challenge of the job. However, for me, the atmosphere, positive attitudes and appreciation for a job well done were just as important. Money is nice and necessary, but it doesn’t make a workplace happy.

So, we continue to reward our own Goldens, but offer love and affection as well. After all, treats can be costly and gone in the moment, while affirmations and love warm the heart and make our world more beautiful.