“Dogs are present-oriented — they don’t live in the past or future,” dog trainer Nathan Woods tells me. “They adjust much quicker than a person can. I’ve had dogs from incredible pasts, like a Cambodian abused dog, that I succeeded in rehabilitating. Dogs are present. There are no problems in the present.”
I cross paths with the very affable Nathan on my daily walks along State Street. At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, for I’d see Nathan with a different dog every day. “I do 25,000 steps a day,” he laughs. “I’m booked all day, every day. With dog training I get to see this whole spectrum of people.” He also owns the Loose Pooch Dog Club on State Street, which is a daycare facility and pet store.
“Dogs are the animals you can communicate with the most,” he says. “I see what they give to people. Most people are educated but not present. Dogs are present but not educated. If we could trade those traits, we’d all be happy.”