I remember saying to my husband a year and a half ago; "I can't wait to meet her, I wonder who she is?" That statement was about Elsa and I wondered who this little blonde ball of fur would be; that is as she grew and became Elsa in our family. Each dog is an individual and getting to know them for who they are is pretty amazing. I saw a photo the other day; one of many that I see cross my computer either via email or FB. The image was that of a puppy mill and the dogs inside that no one would ever know; it made me horrifically sad. Their captors don't know them; there's a good chance that no one will ever know them unless they are rescued.
Dogs are such complex animals; each has their own personality, temperament, likes, dislikes and quirks just like we do. Discovering all of these things about our dog or any dog is a gift unlike any other. I often pass dogs in the park walking with their human and wonder who they are. You can easily tell the humans that have taken the time to get to know their dogs just by the way that they are walking. Some people will never know their dogs; they are just a dog to them and that is and always will be sad. The more years that I spend with dogs; my dogs and dogs in general, the more impact they have on me as a dog person. Things that matter once may have fallen away and things that I never considered in the past are now of great importance. Life changes you.
There is someone there inside waiting to be discovered. When you tap into that amazing being inside of a dog you will grow; you don't have much of a choice. But you must get inside to do that. Big, small, short, tall, round, long, hair, smooth or curly; they all have someone amazing inside. Far too often we label a dog for their exterior; if the owner has not got to the core of who their dog is, it can be very sad. Often the small ones are treated like precious little angels dressed in tiny outfits and treated as a small human. The big rough looking type are treated how they look and not given the chance to share their wonderful individual personality. Exterior is just that and nothing more. The heart of a canine is where the goods are; the important part of who a dog truly is.
They are all dogs; no matter what size or shape they are all dogs just like we are all humans. BUT, there is a huge difference in us all, correct? So is there a huge difference in each and every canine. Within each is a bucket load of individualism that is there for the knowing if you take the time to discover it. I love meeting new dogs; what you see is what you get. People often try to be someone that they are not; dogs never pretend to be someone that they are not. When you meet a dog you truly meet them. Take the time to see the difference; they are much more than just dogs.
Hi Sherri,
ReplyDeleteI read most of your posts...of course I miss some...but I loved this one about the dog inside. I see so many people here in the rural areas where we live who never bother to get to know the dog they have...
BrownDogs Human
I had an interesting comment just yesterday. As I returned to my car after about 45 minutes, my Spoo was fast asleep in the driver's seat. The seat heat had been on, and it wasn't surprising he chose this spot, and he actually does it frequently. Instead of opening the driver's door, I got in on the passenger side and put the keys into the ignition, and said, "Let's go!" Until then, he didn't bother to move a muscle. He got up, and a huge grin appeared on his face. He rearranged himself in the seat and put one paw on the steering wheel and looked at me, clearly smiling and enjoying the encounter. I said, "We won't go far if you don't start the engine." That's when he stepped toward me and gave me a big sloppy kiss and snuggles to my face, still smiling. He moved into the backseat as I got out and walked around the car to get in on the driver's side, and he stood on the console between the two front seats, as if to say, "No, still your turn to drive, let's get going!" As I approached the driver's side, I hadn't noticed a woman in the next car had been watching this go down, and she said to me, "Wow - your dog is like a human, I almost expected him to actually drive away with you! You two have quite a relationship!" We do. I only wish more people respected their dogs this way, they just don't know what they are missing! Love this post!
ReplyDeleteWish you left a name Anonymous. Great story and yes it is a shame that more people do not have an amazing relationship like you obviously do. Enjoy. Thank you for telling us about this adorable interaction.
ReplyDeleteSherri
This is so true. We rescued a "2x loser" three years ago. He was born in the shelter adopted for about 6 months and brought back. At first he was pretty reserved, which was a challenge for us having always had exuberant dogs in the past. Over the past 3 years he's developed quite the personality. It has been so rewarding watching him grow from a shy, fearful dog to the happy confident companion he is today. I have to give my husband a lot of credit for his growth. He spends a lot of time helping him overcome situations where he's unsure. He still approached many situations with caution, but once he's done it you can just see the joy/pride on his face. While I spend time with obedience training (although he needs next to none) his daddy is like his hero. If he's with him he'll try anything. The only thing we haven't conquered is his fear of ceiling fans...
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