The Tao of Dogs
So as many of you know, there has been a new addition to my life. Her name is Kuma, and as I write this she is 12 weeks old - a beautiful fox red labrador who has completely crushed any concept of free time that I used to subscribe too. Concequetly, as some of you have noticed, my ability to post to this blog has been rather... constricted to say the last over the past few weeks (though I was hardly a daily post-er before her arrival).
Not surprisingly, since Kuma has occupied nearly all of my waking (and many of my non-waking) moments since her entrance into my life, this blog post was inspired by her. Though not in the "mushy guhsy, I'm a new daddy and I wuv her so much" way.
Though I've never owned a dog before, I've spent a decent amount of time around them in my life. But never in my life have I met a dog with more confidence than Kuma. She is totally fearless in all situations, despite her current small stature, and I've yet to see her show fear in any way. Despite the fact that she was raised indoors in a country environment, she has quickly adapted to sububan life, and hasnt batted an eye when exposed to dump trucks, CATA buses, other dogs, and of course people. She seems just about imperverous to any "stressful situation", save not being able to follow Jenn or I downstairs, or having to remain in her crate for any length of time.
Interestingly enough, this imperviousness to stressers includes an incredibly thick skin to being scolded or scruffed. When Kuma bites something she shouldnt, as puppies do, she is disciplined appropriatly. And though with some things (such as the wire on my Xbox controller) , Kuma is about as persistent as a neighbors obnixous car alarm, when she does finally get the all important message that "you don't mess with Daddy's Xbox during the 4th quarter of a tight Madden game" she finds something else to amuse her. She is completely unphased by the scolding she recieved, she harbors no feeling of resentment, and if I call her over, I get the same happy look and wagging tail I would if I had just walked in from work.
Though I've always tried to be a pretty laid back person, Kuma, and most dogs for the matter, have mastered the art of "moving on with life". When something bad happens, she gets up, and patters around to find something else. She learns her lessons and she gets on with things. She doesnt sulk. She doesnt brood. When she gets scolded, it happens, its done, and life goes on. Things arent personal. Things just are.
And so I have learned the first of many lessons I will undoubtably learn from Kuma, and I shall call it the Tao of the Dog - Learn you lessons and then let it go. Don't sulk from you mistakes, just dont make them again, hope right up and find something better to do.
This of course barely beat out the other lesson that Kuma has tought me - "if you are going to be bad, wait until Mommy has her back turned".
- Stubbs
Not surprisingly, since Kuma has occupied nearly all of my waking (and many of my non-waking) moments since her entrance into my life, this blog post was inspired by her. Though not in the "mushy guhsy, I'm a new daddy and I wuv her so much" way.
Though I've never owned a dog before, I've spent a decent amount of time around them in my life. But never in my life have I met a dog with more confidence than Kuma. She is totally fearless in all situations, despite her current small stature, and I've yet to see her show fear in any way. Despite the fact that she was raised indoors in a country environment, she has quickly adapted to sububan life, and hasnt batted an eye when exposed to dump trucks, CATA buses, other dogs, and of course people. She seems just about imperverous to any "stressful situation", save not being able to follow Jenn or I downstairs, or having to remain in her crate for any length of time.
Interestingly enough, this imperviousness to stressers includes an incredibly thick skin to being scolded or scruffed. When Kuma bites something she shouldnt, as puppies do, she is disciplined appropriatly. And though with some things (such as the wire on my Xbox controller) , Kuma is about as persistent as a neighbors obnixous car alarm, when she does finally get the all important message that "you don't mess with Daddy's Xbox during the 4th quarter of a tight Madden game" she finds something else to amuse her. She is completely unphased by the scolding she recieved, she harbors no feeling of resentment, and if I call her over, I get the same happy look and wagging tail I would if I had just walked in from work.
Though I've always tried to be a pretty laid back person, Kuma, and most dogs for the matter, have mastered the art of "moving on with life". When something bad happens, she gets up, and patters around to find something else. She learns her lessons and she gets on with things. She doesnt sulk. She doesnt brood. When she gets scolded, it happens, its done, and life goes on. Things arent personal. Things just are.
And so I have learned the first of many lessons I will undoubtably learn from Kuma, and I shall call it the Tao of the Dog - Learn you lessons and then let it go. Don't sulk from you mistakes, just dont make them again, hope right up and find something better to do.
This of course barely beat out the other lesson that Kuma has tought me - "if you are going to be bad, wait until Mommy has her back turned".
- Stubbs
posted by Chris Stubbs at 7:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home