Top five things I've learned from my dog
My daughter Shiloh is such an animal lover. While I can appreciate her passion, I have to feign excitement as she reads me all these animal facts from her National Geographic books.
Because of our kids’ constant begging, we finally gave in and got a family dog a few years ago. Her name is Sugar and she’s a pug/boston terrier mix. Sugar’s pretty great actually. I was watching my daughter play with Sugar the other day, and my appreciation for her grew as I thought of all the things that I’ve learned from this sweet dog.
Here are the top 5 things I’ve learned from my dog:
1 | Get lots of rest and don’t feel guilty about it. Like most dogs, my dog sleeps a lot! She lays around, stretches out and falls asleep immediately. I’ve never seen her look guilty about it, never seen her make excuses for her sleeping habit. She just gets the rest because she needs it or wants it…Brilliant!
2 | Don’t hold grudges. Sometimes we aren’t the best dog owners. We forget to feed her in the morning and realize it after school! The poor dog has been starving all day! But Sugar never holds a grudge. As soon as we come with the food, she’s stoked to eat. No time for grudges here.
3 | Always be ready to play! My dog loves to play. She chases the lizards outside. She chases the kids in the backyard. Somehow, she even learned how to get herself on the trampoline! Sugar is a good time!
4 | Accept love when it’s given. Sugar never turns down an ear rub, belly rub, a hug from the kids, a treat, etc. She’s ready for the love and she’s eager for it! She’s not telling herself stupid lies that she doesn’t deserve it. Sugar just enjoys getting all the love that she can get, no questions asked!
5 | Be sensitive to others. No doubt, Sugar seems to know when something’s up. She is paying attention to our feelings and she’ll sit right by the one who is sad. She isn’t full of clichés and quick Christian responses, she’ll just sit quietly. She'll put her soft head on my lap and look at me with the most compassionate eyes. Silently she’s telling me, I’m on your side!
So, here’s to all the fabulous dogs out there. Dogs for the win!!! Thank you Sugar, for being our awesome family dog. You have filled our home with so much fun, playfulness, love and kindness. We have learned so much from you.
Woof Woof,
Ann