How to love a dog

Don't know where that title came from, but it just hit me. 

It will surprise no one to learn I watch many, many pet rescue videos. Mostly dogs--again, no surprise--in great need of physical and spiritual recovery. Just this evening I was pondering how I might talk to a small child--and I do not have enough children in my life, I admit--about dogs. It might go something like this:

Do you remember when you were very small and you only understood the world in the way it related to you? Probably not. Think of dogs in that way. A dog sees you as a big, goofy, hairless dog. A dog wants to be part of a pack, part of a family. That is why he sticks so closely to you. That is why he loves you so. 

If you see a dog introduced to a baby, the dog understands that the baby is a very small being who needs care, and becomes protective. There are stories in the hundreds and thousands about this sort of bond that lasts as long as the dog lives. It is sad that dogs do not live as long as people do. Some people say that is because the purpose of life is to find perfect love, and dogs do it so well, they can progress to Heaven much sooner than people do. Dogs and babies develop their own language and understand each other in ways grownups have forgotten.

A dog introduced to a boy or girl about 8 or 10 or 12 is a very fortunate dog indeed. He gets to run and play and benefit from a beautiful love that only a child of that age can give. He can be trusted friend, body guard, helper, or whatever he is asked to be.  (Math tutor might not be a good thing to ask--but never underestimate a clever dog!) I once saw a movie that was told from a dog's viewpoint, where the dog was advised how fortunate he was to have his very own boy to play with.

A dog who is introduced to most grownups will learn that he is there for fun and diversion, but he also must behave while that grownup is forced to act like a grownup. How frustrating that must be! For the person and the dog! Human grownups very often forget how to have fun, how to enjoy life and love and laughter, and that is why dogs are such a wonderful gift to them. 

A dog introduced to an older person is very fortunate indeed. An older person will have seen a lot in his or her life, will have known joy and sadness, and will be happy to have a wise soul that will understand without having to hear the words.  In the end, the words don't matter that much, do they? They certainly don't matter to the infants we talked about before!

So. How do you understand a dog? You understand that the dog has had a lifetime of experience before he met you. Whether it is eight weeks or eight years. Just like people, sometimes dogs overreact to things that bring up bad memories. Sometimes learning about those things can be a surprise, just as it might be with people. Most of the time love and patience will be the best way to go.

Also scritches behind the ears. Never forget those.  Also for the dogs.