When my dog sidles up to another dog and sniffs its rear end I have to admit I'm kind of jealous. Not that I want to sniff dogs' bottoms but because of the ease of that social interaction.
I wonder if dogs get other things right that we humans get wrong. Are dogs the alter egos of their human owners?
Here are SIX more things I've spotted that my dog does better than me:
Excercise. My dog can run fast. Up and down a path, around in circles, through the woods. She knows how good it is to get that heart racing, adrenalin pumping, bone crunching form of exercise. I like sitting down and eating chips.
Never Giving Up. Like me, she has her frustrations. She desperately wants to catch a squirrel. She dreams of catching a squirrel and her little legs twitch with the excitement of it as she sleeps soundly on the sofa. Every day she will chase a squirrel to the foot of a tree but to this day, she is always outwitted. But instead of abandoning her dreams, the very next day she will be chasing the squirrel again. Me? I'd have given up at the first tree.
Relaxing. My dog invented chillaxing. She can stretch out and sleep in pretty much any spot. She has no qualms about taking over the sofa, the bed, the rug or an entire dance floor. Yes, you read right: at our housewarming party she slept, splayed out, in the midst of our makeshift dance floor surrounding by loud music and dancing feet. She doesn't worry, like I would, about being in the way.
Being Direct. If two dogs are annoying each other in the dog park, she'll walk right up to them and tell them off. If she wants a snack, she'll ask me outright. If she sees her best doggy friend down the street, she'll tug me over to say hello without a second's thought. If another dog is bothering her, she'll tell them where to go. It's simple, straightforward and uncomplicated. I'm scared that others will hate me.
Spontaneity. An offer of a walk comes out of the blue? Or I decide to run instead of walk? There's fish instead of chicken for supper? It's no problem for my dog. She doesn't complain, ask questions or deliberate over what to do next. She just goes with the flow. And that's what I should do.
Free Spirited. With a bit of husky in her, my dog isn't tied to anyone. Don't get me wrong, she's faithful as dogs are, but she's not clingy, anxious or demanding and she doesn't cover me with affectionate doggy licks. She'll raise an eyebrow when I come home and run back to me in her own time when I call her. She's not needy. There's no emotional games. I, on the other hand, have a 'few' hormonal ups and downs.
OK, so she's a simple animal. And I'm a complex human. But who has it right? Perhaps being more like my doggy alter-ego wouldn't be a bad thing. I think I'll start with a woof.