What has your dog taught you?

I have a friend who had never had any pets growing up, so when she got her first dog, she learned all sorts of things. It was really different for her, learning her pet's quirks and needs, and trying to figure out what it needed, just based on a look or bark. I think she learned a lot of patience, too, because she had to train it herself.

What about you?

 

Our Mishka taught us not to yell at her and to be patient. She is sensitive to loud voices and reacts when my wife and I may be having a disagreement. It's actually a good thing because we have learnt to tone it down ourselves. When she has done something we need to deal with, it's all love and gentle voices. She seems to understand very well.

 

My dogs have taught me a lot of good values. One is being disciplined and responsible. You can’t live a messy unreliable life when you’ve someone or some dogs to look after. You have to work well to be able to provide for them (shelter, food, good health). You can’t just go lazing around all you want because you have to walk your dog out to get some exercise or to soil somewhere, you have to bath them, feed them, train them and play with them. Two is to want the best for others, not just your own. Although your pet would settle for anything that you give, because he gives you so much loyalty and joy, you know you ought to give him what he deserves; you would want the best for him/her, sometimes enough isn’t enough anyway dogs won’t tell you “Okay, I’m done with you.” You learn to give allowances. Three is cleanliness and orderliness. I make sure my place is clean because I don’t want my dog gathering dirt to himself from his surroundings. Stray ticks or fleas, rotten foods, inedible stuff once they collected it could make them sick. Four is being brave and strong and firm. There are occasions when dogs needed to be defended because there are grownups that see them as ‘mere useless dogs’. You have to stand for them. And on occasions when you want to give up, here comes your dog to show you “Hey, there never cease wonderful reasons to go on.” Stand up and fight. As for firm, apart from wanting to give them everything, for them not to be a totally wayward dog, you learn to say “STOP”, “ENOUGH” and “NO” and be authoritative. Five is being creative, funny and appreciative of little things. Since dogs don’t talk, you have to figure out what they are trying to relay on you. And they would do things that will make you laugh even on situations where you think you’re about to die or furious to hell. It’s natural for them to be unintentionally funny however small the act. Then when you tell others about that really funny dog thing, wow, you got a sense of humor. And dog stories are really easy to tell; it comes out to you smoothly that sometimes you could pass for a story teller. Six is being alert. You have to be alert because dogs are spontaneous sometimes. They see a bitch they like and they’ll race for it. Seven is being trusting. With your dog being like a dog that lives and stays awake to guide and protect you and your household, to bark as an alarm because you forgot to turn off your fan for 48 hours and its releasing smoke or there’s a rat stealing your Hershey’s kisses, you know you can sleep peacefully at night and nobody could simply kidnap you or throw you to the garbage can. Eight and the best would be to be loyal and loving. For one it’s impossible not to adore a dog and two, it’s impossible to just exchange them for anything. Dogs, like or unlike any other being, could complete you. You would also learn to be satisfied and not ask for more to an individual who could only give you less. If you ask your dog to dance when he can’t, he will leave you behind to dance on your own just to make you realize some things are not meant to be and not to waste your time on something you’re just trying to enjoy. Dogs will teach you how to really have some fun; and life; and be a good example. I’m not counting anymore because I realize my dogs have taught me numerous things that bring out the best and kill the worst in me and it would take a lot of space to write it down. And if we want to reflect on what we have become or what we could still be, we could just look at our dog.

 

My dogs taught me a lot of things. One of which I remember very well. This is about how loyal a dog can be compared to a lot of naked apes cavorting around.

 

It’s natural for them to be unintentionally funny however small the act.
Right on King Browny. Sometimes my sides ache from laughing. I'm sure Mishka never went to comedy school?

 

We always have a dog in the household and I had learned a lot of things from them.
Like being loyal and loving. Dogs will also just remember the good things you had done for taking care of them and forget the times that you had scold them and become angry with them. That could teach us how to forgiving and learn how to appreciate more of the good things.
Dogs are easy to be contended too, they are happy to have a shelter, a family and foods.

 

"And if we want to reflect on what we have become or what we could still be, we could just look at our dog."

You mean look like this?

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