Love like a Dog

Yep, that is my dog and that is apparently a comfortable position for her. I've often said if we could all love like a dog then we'd all be in a better world. It's one of the purest and most genuine loves you will find. This kind of love is definitely amplified if you have an energetic dog. Not to say that a bloodhound loves you any less it's just a lot more noticeable in a breed like boxers. And if you rescue an energetic dog from the pound then the love is even more amplified. When I arrive home, whether I've been gone twenty minutes or all day, the welcome is joyful and inviting. It's not a calm and collected hello from across the room as she sits comfortably on the couch. It's a wild, erratic series of convulsions many boxer owners know as kidney beaning. My dog turns her body into a U that can't be still. There is bounding and jumping and changing the direction of the U.

Other than the physical excitement there really is a great emotional love with my dog. When she sits next to me you can see it in her eyes. There is this look that says thank you. Thank you for saving me. And I may be the only one that sees it, but then again I'm the only one that needs to. There's this devotion that let's me know she would do anything for me. And it's not an obedience from fear of punishment devotion, it's a real devotion. Because she'll be obedient with other people, but it's how easy she does things for me. There isn't a lot of coaxing or begging. When she gets a new toy, or finds an old one in another room she wants to show me. It's like a young child wanting to impress a parent.

If we all took this kind of approach to our everyday relationships I think we'd all be a lot happier. I know you don't always want to jump off the couch when your loved one comes home. But, if you could add some excitement to your voice it would make a huge difference. And if you try to love with the unconditional attitude that dogs have then I believe the love returned is even stronger. I'm not saying that my dog loves me so much she just lets me do whatever. Because if we're wrestling and I grab her to hard or twist a paw the wrong way I get nipped. But the way she forgets and moves on so quick is amazing. If we all learn to forgive and forget more quickly we move so far ahead. I know this really doesn't have anything to do with having a wild spirit but it was a slow day for really deep thoughts from me.