Think about it. You want to see one movie and your spouse wants to see another. How well can you persuade your spouse to watch your movie selection? What about your boss? Maybe you have a big project that needs to get done but you believe it should be one way and your boss thinks it should be done differently. How well can you persuade your boss to see and act on your position? The reality is if you have mastered the art of persuasion, you will also be able to increase your ability to negotiate.

Well children (and Moms, I must admit) practice persuasion, even at home. This particular weekend, my daughter and I decided we would window shop while we were on vacation. En route to the downtown area we stopped at a pet store to get something for our dogs. At most pet stores there are the animal aisles of food, treats and supplies. Besides the fish or rabbits at different times of year, rarely are other animals available for sale unless it is a mall pet store. Hence my selection of this pet store. When we walked in to the pet store we were surprised to see dogs available for sale.

Among the many breeds that were available for sale, there were some Pomeranians. If you aren’t familiar with this dog they usually don’t get any bigger than about 10 lbs., they have a lot of fur, and they always cock their head from one side to another. We had never seen a Pomeranian and my daughter and I were quickly taken with their size, friendly personality and general cuteness. Now I have to admit that we are fans of mutts, as our other two dogs are mutts, but these Pomeranians quickly stole our heart.

As I tried desperately to regain control of the situation, I set out in search of the treats that we initially had come for and my daughter followed in tow. While our daughter has been taught that no means no and badgering will not work, in this case she decided to practice her persuasive abilities immediately.

“Mom, can we get the Pomeranian?” “No, your father would never go for that after us bringing home Julius.” “Mom, can we call Dad and ask him?” “No, your father and I agreed we will not get anymore dogs. Two is more than enough.” “Mom, can’t you just call Dad and ask him?” “No, I don’t have the phone.” “Can we go get it?” she asked.

And so the conversation continued. Finally, out of desperation I told her I would call my husband. I foolishly decided that if I told my husband we got the dog and then our daughter heard his response then she would see why we could not get the dog.

Instead, my husband while surprised stayed serenely calm and simply responded with, “Uh-uh, no you didn’t?”. When we got home he asked where the dog was. At that point, I had to admit that I had tried to trick him. Immediately, our daughter then began trying to persuade my husband. (Now, I do have to admit that I did extol the virtues of this tiny Pomeranian puppy and well, I did ask if we could get the puppy too.)

The next day, my husband agreed to stop and look at the dogs on our way to lunch. The persuasive tactics had worked so effectively that he agreed we could get a Pomeranian if he could get a Sheltie. Now, my head was spinning. Could it be we came on vacation with two dogs and we were going to leave with four? Had we totally lost our mind?

In the end, we learned the Sheltie was promised to another family. As for us, we came home with a sable Pomeranian puppy who we named Teddy. He looks like a teddy bear and in his lineage (yes, he has a family tree) the “Grand Sire” was named Weeks Wild Teddy Bear. So, in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, he was nicknamed Teddy.

The experience included learning about family lineage, a new breed of dog, how to care for a puppy, and the differences between purebreds and mutts. But the biggest lesson learned that weekend was just how effective the art of persuasion can be used.

As for this Thanksgiving, I think we’ll bring the dog treats from home!