Lessons From My Dog

I…am…NOT…a dog person!  I’ve said this many times over the years, and yet here I am sitting next to my dog while I write this post.  I’m really not though.  I always thought they were cute but didn’t really think they were for me.  And when we realized my daughter had an allergy to dogs and I knew we were never gonna get one…well, that  was A-ok with me.  But just as all things that you plan in life, things changed and we ended up with a cute hypoallergenic mixed breed rescue puppy who is very much a part of our family….Tank.  In a weird way he fulfilled that part of me that needed to take care of something again; since my babies were no longer babies.  Having another child was not in the cards for us for many reasons, but the mommy strings were still tugging at my heart…and this little guy filled that hole!

But….little did I know that #toughlittletank would actually have many lessons to teach me…

1.Love your humans hard…whether your loved one has been gone for 5 minutes or 5 years greet them with all the excitement in the world and show them your love!….Tank never ceases to greet us with all his love, attention and full wagging tail!  He really knows how to make a girl feel loved!

2. Work hard, play harder…..Tank never passes up time to play with a friend and always gives it his full energy and attention!…Time with friends is precious and something we have to make time for in our daily craziness!

3. Naptime is always a good idea!….Nuf said!

4. Never say no to a treat….Duh!

5. Follow your people where they may take you…trust the ones you love! …..In Tank’s case, that would mostly be the bathroom! But this could also be yourself and your dreams and goals.  Often times we down play that voice inside of us…DON’T…trust it, follow it…you never know where you might end up!

6. Maybe someone doesn’t want to hang out with you right now, but if you wait patiently the ones that love you will always come back to you!…..Tank is always right outside my door, waiting patiently when I’m ready to let him in! I imagine this piece of advice will serve me well when I have teenagers!

7. Always stop to smell the flowers. …..Ok, maybe he’s actually sniffing other scents but he really does stop and sniff and it’s always a great reminder for me to just slow down and appreciate my surroundings!

8. If a loved one hurts you, let them know, accept their apology and move on! If they say it was an accident; believe it!….Tank really only yelps when we hurt him, by accident of course, and he’s back to loving on us just the same right after!

9. Be resilient….I can not count the number of times I have scolded our little pup and coaxed him (pulled him) off of certain pieces of furniture.  But this little guy will try and try again.  True this is a sign that he should be better trained, but in the real world, we all  would do better if we (politely) don’t take no for an answer and keep fighting for the things that we want!

10. Just because you don’t think you’re a certain type of person, it doesn’t mean you can’t become a certain type of person!…I still say, “I AM NOT A DOG PERSON.” But I love this little guy to pieces!  So if I could become a dog lover, and cauliflower can become pizza, you, my friend, can become anything your heart desires!!!!

 

The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.-Johnny Depp