3 Things Your Dog Wants You to Know
Man’s best friend.
Loyal-to-a-fault companion.
Friend that leaks out pure happiness in the form of pee when you get home from work.
All ways to describe my furry, four-legged baby.
Having grown up on a farm and being surrounded by any number or variety of animals you would think that getting a dog would be an ordinary thing for me.
It wasn’t.
None of the animals on our farm, including dogs and cats, were indoor pets. Animals were strictly viewed as outdoor creatures and had no place indoors. We took good care of them to be sure but it was simply a matter of fact in our house. Animals outside, people inside. So it has been and so it is written. Amen and praise Jesus.
So you can probably imagine the learning curve that was about to hit me in the face when a dear friend of mine offered me a pup from her then-pregnant dog’s litter.
I said yes!
I had always wanted an indoor dog as a pet and companion but until that point my life had been a bit chaotic and having a pet had always seemed more of a liability than an asset. But things had changed and it was time to settle down and shoulder the responsibility of a dog. Having kids seemed like a pretty big stretch for this care-free vagabond so a dog felt like a good compromise.
Of course the first thing on my mind was “OMG I have to train her!”
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
It was she that needed to train me.
And she’s a very good and patient trainer.
In so many ways I am late to this game but it has become my personal belief that our pets come into our lives not so much for themselves but for us. To help us humans understand the important things in life a bit better. Here are only 3 of the multitude of things that my dog has been trying to tell me in the year and a half that we have been together.
- I LOVE YOU
Billy Currington sang a song called “Love me like my dog” and in this humorous but accurate description of a dog’s love he declares his wish that his lover would love him like his dog loves him. Without condition. With full acceptance.
There is no concept of flaws or brokeness for a dog. To your dog, you are pure. You are complete. You are perfect. Your dog sees only good in you.
I can’t count the number of times that I have felt like a worthless piece of crap about something I’ve said or done whether imagined or real. Yet I come home to my dog just loving the absolute shit out of me and I can’t help but feel a tad bit better.
Dogs don’t have a comparison button. You are the WORLD to your dog and no matter how many other people they meet, you are their favourite. Simply because you are.
Love is love.
2. LIFE IS FUN!
Deja has an almost endless supply of energy. Even if she’s tuckered from running and playing as we so often do, she is ready for more at a moments notice.
She’s a standard poodle so her legs are the longest part of her body! She’ll jump up on her hind legs and pounce on me with her paws at me to get me off the couch. ANYTIME IS PLAY TIME!
I remember being taught that fun is and should be only a very small part of life. Even the word “fun” was preached against where I grew up. The idea being that by the age of 18 one must be fully matured and serious and work hard. Playtime is for children and now it’s time to face this drudgery of a life.
No wonder we all think life is a chore!
I see so many posts on social media having to do with the “difficulty” of life. CHOOSE YOUR PAIN! WORK HARD! HUSTLE!
While I can understand the meaning and drive behind those words I like to think differently. I think life is only as hard as we decide it will be. It’s a “hard row to hoe” only if you SAY it is!
Say you want to start eating a more healthy diet. I cannot even count the number of times I’ve been told that “It’s not easy!” or “It’s tough but you can do it.” I get it but why make it harder than it has to be by repeating these discouraging mantras?!
Try this instead…
“Eating healthy is easy. I really enjoy the process of learning to cook and create the nutritious food that my body needs to function properly.”
or…
“ I love this new habit I’m forming. It’s easy and refreshing and lifts the load of the old habit off my back.”
Instead of the tired old phrase…
“Life is hard and you just gotta make the best of it”
maybe try…
“life is enjoyable, easy and I can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen next.”
Is it a magical cure? Maybe not (but it kinda is) but it can’t hurt to say it can it? You’ll be amazed at how the words you use can affect the way you feel. You already know this anyway.
Stop sabotaging yourself with your words before you even start. Decide that life is a game and this game is meant to be played!
Go play! With your dog if you have one! And for goodness sake stop telling yourself everything has to be so damn hard all the time! You’re killing your own vibe!
And finally
3. ACCEPT EVERY THING JUST AS IT IS.
Deja’s full acceptance and presence in every given moment is amazing to me. I never see her sitting and worrying that maybe she shouldn’t have jumped up on me or that she shouldn’t have accidentally knocked the lamp off the coffee table or worrying about whether or not she will have enough to eat tomorrow etc etc.
She doesn’t know what it is to fret about past decisions or worry about future decisions. She lives in the moment.
To be sure, after the lamp crash incident she came to find me with a vexed expression on her face. Understanding that what she had done was not something we usually do in this house but we had a chat about it and cleaned it up and it was all good and forgotten. (also it reminded me that i need to buy more light bulbs)
Her full acceptance of every moment reminds me that life is always in the present moment. Sure there are times we have to clean up a mess we’ve made but then comes the time to forgive and let go.
There is no moment but the one you’re in right now. The future and the past are simply constructs of the imagination and memory. Grab this moment and play the hell out of it.
With your dog if you have one. If you don’t I personally recommend getting one.
puppy kisses,
BD
