Happy Belated National Dog Day

Lying at my feet right now is a darling fuzzy labradoodle named Eloise.  A happy pup that loves to cuddle and disdains getting her faced washed, and is one of several wonderful dogs that have been part of my life.  In honor of National Dog Day, I thought it would be fun to gather some of the lessons I have learned from these furry friends.

1.Loved ones should always be announced loudly and greeted with great enthusiasm.     2.Beware bunnies, they may really be ninjas in disguise and must be barked at or at least carefully monitored.     3.Enjoy quiet moments, taking time to smell the grass, the hydrant, the tree, and anything else that might have a smell.     4.When you are scared, get hugs from someone you trust. It helps.     5.Chores are more fun with helpers, especially when it involves doing dishes and digging holes.     6.Adventures are limitless outside the door, let’s go explore.     7.Choose gentleness and keep your temper, your bit being worse than your bark won’t necessarily solve anything.     8. No matter what, don’t chew up your favorite toy.     9.Empty toilet paper rolls are really treasures in disguise; there is limitless potential in such a little paper tube!     10.Big pickup trucks passing on the road can be noisy and scary, it’s really better to be riding in one.     11.The joy of seeing a friend doesn’t depend on how they look or are dressed, how much money they make or their job title – just be happy because they are there.     12.Play games, run fast and splash in the pool.     13.It’s easier to be brave when someone is brave with you.     14.If the fireworks are scary, bark back at them.     

15.Take naps, enjoy pillows, and snuggle.     16.Even if it sometimes sounds like gibberish, listen – it shows you care.     17.You have a personality; enjoy it, flaunt it, don’t even think about hiding it.     18.Drink lots of water – but not too much too fast, it upsets the belly.     18.Be gentle; when you smash the bug you are chasing, it doesn’t get back up again.     19.When you go away on a trip, you are missed – get ready for lots of love and hugs and kisses when you return.     20.Baby deer look like long legged puppies, they hop and run and are curious about the world around them.  Maybe we could be friends even if we are different.     21.Be faithful, sticking with each other through thick and thin.     22.The doctor’s office can be scary – go together and hold paws. And be on the lookout for treats – they have them!     23.Be present in the present. 

 24.Be curious. Does that little hoppy toad and the butterfly move? And, how many times can you run around the couch in circles before you get dizzy?     25.Hard work can be good stuff, especially when there is a treat, and an acknowledgement of a good job done.     26.Don’t watch scary movies alone – like the ones where there are 101 puppies…  There is a crazy lady in there!      27.Take care of each other, you may need help reaching that itchy spot or getting out the thistles.     28.Breathe deep, sigh good sighs, and stretch out your muscles; it’s not called downward dog for nothing. 

Eloise, Sierra, Buddy, Megan, Cole, Ginger, Bear, Mendy, Catie, Lady – they are all names that bring back memories of soft fur, happy tails, and lots of barking.  Take care of your dogs; they take such good care of their people. 

Puppy Dog Lessons

 Last weekend we loaded up and headed out to a nearby park for some unplugged down time, much needed and much enjoyed.  Besides vehicles packed with what we needed for staying in the cabins, we had all the packing for bringing all three of the dogs with us.  Two labs and one labradoodle came along, much to their delight.  They spent time splashing in the lake, sleeping in the sunshine, and stretched out on blankets.  We packed everything they would need.  And they packed in a few lessons along the way.

Jumping In

My sweet labradoodle pup is more a girly girl than not; more pillow than puddle.  So, while the labs jumped into the lake with abandon, she decided that sitting on the dock with me was just fine.  But, they must have looked like they were having such great fun.  I could see her wanting to join in, but she held back.  Unexpectedly and at a full run, she took off and launched into the water.  Sometimes, you just have to acknowledge the fear and jump in anyway. 

Oh, and she didn’t jump back in later, but she did manage to wade in up to her belly.

Dragon, Pillows, Air Conditioners – Gotta’ Lean into the Little Joys

Don’t leave home without your dragon (a.k.a. safety blanket).  My pup simply will not go to bed without her stuffed dragon.  So, dragon of course went along with us.  Pillows are our friends.  And for many of us, they are kind of an expected part of our bedroom set.  But, just because we are used to it, we don’t want to lose the joy of the feel of a pillow under our heads.  And, when you are in the car, it can feel good to lean into the air conditioner and really soak in the cool air.  Of course, not when you are driving…  It isn’t always the big things that are joys; it is a myriad of little things.

Be Happy To See Loved Ones

Whether I’m gone five hours or five minutes, I get a wonderfully enthusiastic greeting from my pup.  She is so happy that I am back with her.  Don’t forget to show others how happy you are to see them too!

Focus on the Stick

Before a dog can swim out and get a stick in a lake, they have got to know where the stick is.  So, they get focused and wait for it to be thrown, watching for the splash for where it lands.  If they get distracted, they would have no idea of where to look.  It is easy to lose focus, but when we need to keep our eye on the goal, it is time to look at the goal and don’t look away.

 

Don’t Just Notice – Do Something

An evening campfire was feeling better and better as the cooler night temperatures set in.  As we moved our lawn chairs closer, I noticed that my pup was showing signs of getting cold.  Getting ready to leave the fire and take her in, I reached down to pet her and noticed that I was touching two pups.  One noticed that the other was cold and moved over to cuddle in.  Next thing I know, they were both sound asleep and warm and comfy.  I often get so busy, I miss that someone else is having a rough moment.  And, if I miss it, I certainly can’t lend a hand or warmth. 

The dogs went on vacation with us, and taught a few lessons along the way.

Buzz Words – Or Not

I was part of a discussion last week about the new buzz word/phrases of accountability and failure being a topic of discussion.  After thinking about the concepts more, I find myself torn in two ways.  One, when did these words stop becoming buzz words – in other words, was there a time that they lost their power and potency in current culture?  The second is that if one is true, then thank heavens that they are coming back now!

But why – why are they important?

Accountability, stemming from the older words that mean to account for something, means that an individual or a group will make a choice and then stand behind it.  I think most can understand the concept of accountability, even if we don’t always like to be called for account.  But, it’s relation to failure is not always as obvious as might be thought.

Accountability and failure seem again the obvious match, as we are called to account for our failings.  But, in this particular case, it was brought a step further.  Failures happen, our best plans sometimes flop horribly.  Not leaving it with simply the immediate mess cleaning up is where I would challenge all of us.  Instead, we must learn from these happenings and apply that knowledge to hopefully lead to a different result. 

My low pressure example was I was trying to make potato cakes.  I’ve had potato cakes, but I’ve never made them before.  Combining a couple of different recipes, my first batch was not so much cakey as like an apple sauce texture.  Needless to say, that didn’t stick around long to be stared at like some starchy soup.  But, recognizing that the potatoes were not staying bound together as they were needed, I added flour – with the result that the new batch came out quite beautiful and golden brown.  Yes, that is a pretty low stress example, yet serves as a good example of trying something, failing, and then, making changes and trying again. 

We all fail.  We all need to shoulder forms of accountability (and be a little kinder with each other since we all fail at times).   We all need to learn from what failed and decide what changes to make to move forward.  Buzz words, maybe.  Life time lesson words – absolutely!