To All Dogs
Doggone Etiquette â
To All Dogs
By Bardi McLennan
A Word to All the Dogs Out There: Â
Do you know what makes you so special to your people? Out of all the hundreds of dogs they had to choose from, they picked you. Thatâs where life as you know it began. A part of your success is your ability to adjust a dogâs way of looking at life (and the world around you) so that it fits in with your people. Of course, some of you had a hard time doing that, but only a few of you failed entirely. In fact, those of you who did fail might just have been in the wrong home, or at the wrong time, and now you are with new people who are a good match for you and allâs well.
Lots of other, smaller things also make you special. Here are some examples. You are ecstatic in greeting your people when they come home â even when theyâve only been gone for twenty minutes. You know how to look adoringly right into your peopleâs eyes â especially when they are getting your dinner, or opening your cookie jar. You know how to put on the âpoor, pathetic little meâ act when your favorite person is about to bite into a nice big muffin.
Most of you (well, many of you) have learned how to be almost perfect in front of all those other dogs in obedience class, regardless of how âslightly imperfectâ you may be at home. Itâs okay â you get brownie points for putting on a good show.Â
Another way in which you are special is your readiness to switch gears. For example, you can get up from a sound sleep, give one hearty shake and be ready to run outside with your people to play whatever games they come up with. (Their own kids canât do that!)Â Â
You are also special because you know when your very own person is in need of your very presence. Those are the times when you stay close and maybe curl up beside the one who is feeling âdownâ at the moment, or just rest your head on their knee. And all the time you are calm, quiet and attentive. Perhaps itâs animal instinct. We people call it âloveâ or âunderstanding.â We donât know how dogs refer to it, but we love you for doing it, and for being exactly the unique dogs you are.Â
Just a Word to the Dogsâ Owners:
Our dogs are indeed very special, and when better than this holiday season to take the time to show them our gratitude for all they bring into our lives.      Â
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Until next time
- Bardi
Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award last year.