Dogs are awesome creatures of habit and duration. For instance, if you feed and water your dog at a specific time of day, or even better before going to sleep, they’ll grow to anticipate that time, and will usually go to the same place to eat or go to the water bowl.
I once had a Yorkie and a Maltese in my house. When I was in my upstairs bedroom, they were happily snoozing on the bed above us. When I woke up, either of them would run to the bedroom, look down, and bark as if to say “I’m awake, too!”
When you have multiple dogs in your home, they may care about certain things. For instance, the toys they play with maybe collectible and given to them by each other. The water that they drink may come from a faucet in another room. advantages that this arrangement provides are obvious: when one dog is sick, the other one can usually eat or drink whenever its time comes.
We don’t think of our dogs as “domesticated” until quite recently. For instance, we often speak of our dogs as “my kids” rather than “my dog.” Should we not? Most people who bring dogs into their homes have done so because they feel that the dogs would make wonderful companions and share household responsibilities, or that they would make good guard dogs or Her brace.
And even those requirements can turn out to be attributes or benefits that might lead you to abandon your dog.
When my family adopted our two Rottweilers, it was to be closer to them. closer to you’ll, as the predators that they are. The boys especially were very playful, but they were very obedient too. One, our first, would grab anything from under the couch; the other, Sephi, would tear a pillow to shreds just to get to the pillow. She was actually stronger and more athletic than our other dog at that time, and she scared the two of them.
What are your lessons from that experience, fifty years later?
One lesson, and one only, was: Never think that what you have witnessed as a benefit, or a game, is always the way things really are. Always observe. Stay open to possibilities. Dogs may play for all kinds of reasons…even when they appear to be bored.
And even when they appear to be bored, they may be playing just to keep themselves amused.
What I discovered, in my adopted dogs, was that they were each unique, each one pure. They each had their own distinctive personalities, andGames they would help us with.
Though our dogs were never perfect, they did give us dog lovers lots of hugs and kisses when they were there.
They may not have been household members, but they were never my friends, nor should they be. We had adopted them because of their unique qualities, not because I wanted to pretend that they were. I wanted them to be friends, but it was my responsibility to provide them with the guidance that they would need to find their place in the household.
Now, years later, it has turned out that all the lessons we learned, all the things we were so fond of in our Rottweilers, proved to be much more important than what relationship I had with my dogs.
They were just amazing animals, and above all, they gave me tons of respect for doing business diligently, and not letting a single cent be devoted to me…because I worked for them.
They each had a separate schedule, but they expected that I would do the same.
And when I did, it was usually in a very timely fashion.
Each one always liked to jump up on me. And, when I termed their attention span, they were…immature.
I might be an inch away from heaven, but then again, I might be sitting at the table right now with five stars and telling them all about it.
It all led to one question.
Why does my dog care if I am sitting at the table?
The answers to that are simple.
- He wants to spend time with me.
- He wants to play and socialize with me.
- He wants to eat and sleep with me.
- And he wants me to notice him and love him.
Why does my dog care if I am eating?
It is because I am passing through.
And if I am passing through the door of heaven, I am sure that I will find my angel right along with me…and he will be big and beautiful and his breath will perfume my nostrils.