Things I’ve Learned From My Dog
Things I’ve Learned From My Dog
Expect the best from people and give them a warm greeting. Do I always do this — hell no. But I like the idea. Charlotte will run up to most people at the dog park and try to give them a kiss, albeit without them expecting it. It’s the thought that counts, right?
Charlotte willingly will give most things a shot at least once. Jumping over rocks, slithering into narrow spaces, to jumping the backyard fence. The time she jumped the fence I found her terrified, trying to jump back over but failing. She made it over in the first place by standing on a pile of leaves and dirt I use for compost. She never tried to jump the fence again. Give new things a shot, even if they scare you.
Charlotte doesn’t speak when she wants to be touched. She simply nudges her snout against you or under your arm until you start rubbing and scratching her. She loves attention and loves to be petted. Being touched makes you feel good. It’s easy to forget how important this is to life when you spent most of your day lost in the hustle and bustle of the day.
When she wants something or doesn’t like something she plainly lets you know without beating around the bush. When she wants to go outside she’ll whine at the door. Wants to eat, she’ll sit near her food bowls. If she wants to sleep and we’re watching a movie, she’ll go into the bedroom where it’s dark. There generally is no murkiness to what she needs to be happy.
Charlotte simply wants to be with you. She doesn’t care where we’re going, what we’re doing as long as we’re doing it together. I think what makes her most disappointed is when (we) the humans leave the house without her.
She needs to workout to remain sane. If she doesn’t get her walks she won’t sleep and will spend the night gnawing and licking herself. She is an organism whose body needs to be used for more than just sitting and sleeping. She always stretches before she moves, when she wakes up, and when starting any sort of physical activity. I find her frequent stretching quite remarkable.
Dogs let go. If you accidentally step on her paw, bump her too hard, accidentally pinch her long tail on something she’ll let you know with a yelp. A few seconds later it’s as if it never happened. She instantly forgives and does not hold grudges. Grudges, bad moods are simply a waste of your energy and a waste of your short life.
Persistence pays off. When I’m trying to teach my dog a new trick, most recently balancing a treat on her snout, she doesn’t know what I expect of her. Each time she gets it right I praise her and give her a treat. Do that twenty, fifty times later she knows what I’m looking for and can do it almost flawlessly, though sometimes confuses commands.
Expect the best from people and give them a warm greeting. Do I always do this — hell no. But I like the idea. Charlotte will run up to most people at the dog park and try to give them a kiss, albeit without them expecting it. It’s the thought that counts, right?
Charlotte willingly will give most things a shot at least once. Jumping over rocks, slithering into narrow spaces, to jumping the backyard fence. The time she jumped the fence I found her terrified, trying to jump back over but failing. She made it over in the first place by standing on a pile of leaves and dirt I use for compost. She never tried to jump the fence again. Give new things a shot, even if they scare you.
Charlotte doesn’t speak when she wants to be touched. She simply nudges her snout against you or under your arm until you start rubbing and scratching her. She loves attention and loves to be petted. Being touched makes you feel good. It’s easy to forget how important this is to life when you spent most of your day lost in the hustle and bustle of the day.
When she wants something or doesn’t like something she plainly lets you know without beating around the bush. When she wants to go outside she’ll whine at the door. Wants to eat, she’ll sit near her food bowls. If she wants to sleep and we’re watching a movie, she’ll go into the bedroom where it’s dark. There generally is no murkiness to what she needs to be happy.
Charlotte simply wants to be with you. She doesn’t care where we’re going, what we’re doing as long as we’re doing it together. I think what makes her most disappointed is when (we) the humans leave the house without her.
She needs to workout to remain sane. If she doesn’t get her walks she won’t sleep and will spend the night gnawing and licking herself. She is an organism whose body needs to be used for more than just sitting and sleeping. She always stretches before she moves, when she wakes up, and when starting any sort of physical activity. I find her frequent stretching quite remarkable.
Dogs let go. If you accidentally step on her paw, bump her too hard, accidentally pinch her long tail on something she’ll let you know with a yelp. A few seconds later it’s as if it never happened. She instantly forgives and does not hold grudges. Grudges, bad moods are simply a waste of your energy and a waste of your short life.
Persistence pays off. When I’m trying to teach my dog a new trick, most recently balancing a treat on her snout, she doesn’t know what I expect of her. Each time she gets it right I praise her and give her a treat. Do that twenty, fifty times later she knows what I’m looking for and can do it almost flawlessly, though sometimes confuses commands.
Readers: Have a dog? Any pet? Post your pet’s photo in the comments! 
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