Dog Lessons

Today I received an email from a friend entitled "Dog Lessons." Most of you have probably already seen it. Since I thought it was cute, and since I'm not much of the "forward on an email" type, I decided to do the Blog equivalent and post it here. Those of you who have loved and owned dogs will appreciate this tribute to them...

If a dog were the teacher you would learn stuff like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.

Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back in the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

The picture at the top of this post is the picture of Pippin that they took while he was at the pound. Although he looks like he's missing his right eyeball, he is not. We are still struck daily by how different he is from Little, whom we still miss very much, by the way.

Even as I type this, Pip is sitting on the floor next to me just quietly staring up at me. I never know if he's happy or not. Little was very "jolly" and waggy and pant-y and excited most of the time. Pip is mellow and calm. He likes to be where we are in the house. He often wags his little stump of a cropped tail. He brings a ball and drops it at my feet to play fetch. He runs to the door and wants to go along if anyone is leaving to go somewhere. But he's just generally less expressive than Little was, so he doesn't seem as thrilled about life as Little did.

I hope he likes it here.