Throughout my life I have had a wide cast of characters who contributed to my personal growth from boy to man. Role models from all walks of life who have taught me lessons which, whether they know it or not, have shaped me into who I am today.
But some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned recently have not come from a mentor, but from a 60-pound Lab/Pointer. Yes, I’m talking about my dog. I know what you’re thinking, that I’m crazy. That it’s cliché to get all emotional about your dog. And you’re right. If I had a dollar for every god damn “I love my dog and here’s why” article I wouldn’t have to struggle to make it as a blogger. But I’m going to write it anyways. Through him I’ve earned qualities which have eluded me my whole life.
I’ll never forget the day that I met the little guy. My wife was having a pet adoption event at her work to benefit a local animal shelter. I was given a simple chore: drop off a few donated supplies. I most certainly had no intentions of adopting a puppy that day. In fact, when the idea came up the night before I quickly shot it down.
“Absolutely no” I said “we have our hands full as it with one dog.”
Besides. I wanted a French Bulldog and unless there was a perfect Frenchie who met my strict qualifications I wasn’t leaving with a puppy. But when I arrived at the event and she quickly handed me a tiny, sleeping Lab my demeanor quickly changed.
He looked at me all droopy-eyed, all 10-pounds of him and I knew then that I had found my dog. We spent the better part of the next few hours attached to each other.
Once we decided that we wanted him for our own I figured: “Cool, I’ll teach him a few tricks. Little did I know that he would be teaching me.”
We named him LeMonde, which means “the world” in French. A fitting name for a pup who quickly became part of our world.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
Expect the unexpected-
Dogs keep you guessing. One minute we’ll be on a slow walk through the park and a squirrel or bird or leaf will grab his attention and he’s off. You’ve got to be ready for that. Dogs will keep you guessing. You’ve got to be on your toes.
Check your feelings at the door-
Everyone has bad days particularly at the office. But a dog doesn’t have a 9-to-5 job. A dog doesn’t know about car payments or bills or deadlines or a micro-managing boss. They can however pick up on bad vibes and they will do their best to cheer you up. Still, that’s no reason for you to bring negative energy to them. Most of the stress you have melts away as soon as you see their wagging tail.
It’s a game of give and take-
When we got our other dog, Bella (a sweet and affectionate, but also temperamental Boston Terrier) she came fully house broken. LeMonde came to us as a blank canvas. An unpredictable blank canvas. Our days and nights revolved around his bathroom schedule which we managed to iron out in only a few days. We sacrificed, personal time and our social lives for the benefit of our little guy, but it paid of greatly.
Old habits die hard-
You know how I said “dogs keep you guessing,” remember that? They are also creatures of habit. You’ll quickly find that once your dog gets in a routine it is virtually impossible to break. Dog wakes you up early a few mornings in a row? Say hello to your new alarm clock. Since we got LeMonde over a year ago I haven’t once used my alarm clock. Not once. You’ll notice that almost like clockwork your dog will do the same thing at the same time. Day in, day out. They don’t mind this repetition. To them, this is what they know. And as long as the routine isn’t destructive, it’s best to just let them do their thing. Does he have a “go to” chew toy at a certain time? Good let him have it. Happy puppy means happy owner.
There were other lessons along the way too. Stuff like “never expect to keep a pair of socks in order” or “lazy time is just as fun as play time” and a whole host of other things that I haven’t mentioned. Having a puppy isn’t easy. It isn’t hard either. It’s this weird balance. But it’s sure as hell rewarding. I could go on ad nauseum, but right now there are two snoring puppies on the couch that need cuddling.
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