Dog Lessons

This photo was taken a few years ago when my husband and I were on holiday in Spain. When I look at it today, it has a whole new meaning then it had at the time we were there. In general,  I had a take it or leave it with Dogs - more often leave it. Especially a dog that I did not know.

Recently a member of my family lost their dog - even worse... drove over the little wiener dog in their driveway. She was so upset and they have had the dog for ten years , since a puppy. She had not always liked the dog, for example when it peed on the carpet when ever a visitor entered their home or if he got excited...which didn't take much! Of course she would never have wished him dead! but she may have wished him gone and at one time even gave him temporarily to her father to take home. Her husband on the other hand loved the dog like the dog loved him. So as you can imagine she was was an emotional rubbish heap when this happened. Will they get another dog? Possibly but sensibly not right away.

This incident prompted my beloved to tell me about his dogs. He had two in his adult life and one as a young boy. As a boy, when his dog was run over he ran away for a week! and grieved for months. When his last dog got old and feeble and arthritic he bought an old Citroen with a suspension that could lower just so his dog could get in on her own and maintain her dignity. Even now when he talks about her he gets teary eyed with the memory.

So what is it about dogs, that attaches them with such superglue to our soul. It might be that they hold no grudges. If you are in a mood one day or shout at your dog or call it a nasty name if it chews your best shoe - The dog won't remember the next day. When you come home from work, your dog will greet you with that wagging tail and excited demeanor just as if you never said a mean thing ever! They don't have a file in their brain marked (skeletons, save for future ammunition) If you are sad or happy or angry... your dog doesn't care they still love you and will be loyal to you. They will still come and look at you with love in their eyes.

We all should work more to have the wide-opened eyes of a dog because it might make the world a better place. Even if it makes 'your' little world a better place it will be worth it. So go in Love and forgiveness and peace and open your eyes WIDE.

Sentinals

This photo is two beautiful dogs whom I do not even know. But to someone they are everything. They sit and watch for their master or mistress to return. This was taken in Spain, up the mountains when my husband and I were exploring in our rental car , while on holiday a few years ago.

In thinking about what to blog about, random things come to mind. I was flipping through old files of photos and looked at these two animals in a different light. This is because of a recent traumatic experience my daughter faced. She drove over her husbands little dog as she was driving into their garage. A little weiner dog, he has been with them for ten years: since a puppy. Her little son who is 4 witnessed this event .

She was many times fed up with the dog who as he got older developed a nervous condition of peeing on teh carpets anytime he got excited or anytime anyone else entered the house. So her feelings became quite an emotional heap. Her husband came home when she called him at work. They buried the dog and he went back to work. I know they will all get over this incident with minimal emotional scars, yet it is still difficult to be the bystander as our sons and daughters deal with life's trauma's.

This incident brought out sharing from my husband about his beloved dogs and how he said good bye to them. There is something about a dog that makes them an exceptional soulmate. They don't care what mood you are in. They don't care how you look and if it is a 'bad-hair' day. They sometimes care of their dinner is late but they don't act any different with you. They greet you with excitment if you've been away for five minutes or five days. They let you know you are everything to them. with tail wags, slobbery kisses and broad smiles. They are faithful till death.

Dogs could teach us all a thing or two if we could really listen to their actions. That is how we could all learn a thing or two about lots of things in life. Don't listen with your ears - look with your eyes opened. I takes a lot of years to learn how to go through life with eyes opened but it is so much more fullfilling. My eyes only opened when I opened my heart.