I'm going to learn something today, dangit!

I suppose you could say that today was just simply "one of those days" where nothing seemed just and fair, and no matter how hard I try, someone is disappointed in something. We all have them. You know, one of those days that from the moment you wake up, the mere thought of getting out of bed and facing the so called "real world" seems exhausting, so you lay there until after 10am thinking that maybe if you wait long enough, the world will disappear before you even get up. Yup. One of those days.

I came to work around 4pm, feeling rather discouraged at my tiny shifts which result in tiny paychecks. I had a long talk with my boss, whom I actually like despite my schedule and pay- which says something. lol. I decided that toady, I'm going to learn something from these creatures we so lovingly call "dogs."

I sat in the play yard, in my chair, observing the dogs. I watched them play, communicate, interact, sleep, everything. Getting increasingly annoyed at a particular male Border Collie for his dominent aggressive habits, I thought to heck with learning from these guys today. I gave him a five minute time out, then let him back out, only for im to go directly back at harassing a goofy male White Boxer who seemed entirely oblivious to his "stalker" that was clearly trying to assert authority over him. Then my first moment of clarity hit me.

I feel a lot of pressure from family, friends, the world, etc. to abandon the things that make me the most happy in life: dogs. I hear all the time that my love for these animals is childish and that maybe when I "grow up and get real" I'll see that they're "just dogs" and nothing to be so concerned over. This job makes me happy. (ok, ok, so my hours tick me off, but the actual job in itself I love.) Dogs are just my "thing" and I love working on the happy side of it. I work with dogs that already have homes and for the most part are well taken care of and happy. I love that I come ere six days a week, with the company of my own two boys, and get to meet lots of wonderful people with their even more wonderful dogs. I let the pressure I feel get to me. It makes it harder to enjoy the things I love when people I care about have yet to accept that this IS me. The dogs ARE my life.

Here was this White Boxer boy, with an extreme stalker, trying to assert dominence over him, trying to tell him that he was inferior to him, and the Boxer wasn't even phased. He went about his carefree ways, and continued to be himself, and do whatever made him happy, despite pressure from jerk Border Collie mix. This was the first of a few lessons I learned from the dogs today.

The second lesson was triggered from Grissom's rather repulsive habit. It's no secret, he's a poop eater. Despite my best efforts to stop him, or catch it before it happens, sometimes he still gets to it.

I walked outside only to catch him face down in a pile of disgusting, smelly crap... nub wagging and everything. Of course I corrected the behavior, and as I cleaned up the remainder of the mess, and put him on a five minute time out, I got to thinking: If I could learn to enjoy half the "crap" in my life as Grissom does, I'd be set. Here is this little guy, deciding that this is nto in fact poop, but a tasty treat to be enjoyed. Now, of course I am not saying I am going to digest fecies, no that would be a far too literal translation. Maybe I just need to learn to enjoy the junk life throws my way, and "eat it up and enjoy!"

Okay, okay, so kind of a gross scenario to learn a lesson- but this is a doggy daycare, not some kind of deep, intellectual serious atmosphere. lol

The third and final lesson came to me from a Golden Retriever that comes on a regular basis. She has tendency to boycott the play group, and find a spot to nap, generally under a chair, in the middle of all the commotion, and take a good long nap. Dogs run past her, bark at people as they enter, step on her, romp in circles around her, and she doesn't care: she sleeps.

If I could learn to relax in the midst of all the commotion, I'd be in a far better place, and probably not so exhausted all the time.

These are the lessons at Ruff House for the day. Now I just neet them to apply them to this crazy, hectic thing we call life, and I'll be set.

I have never understood people who are not "dog people." I feel bad for all the wonderful moments they miss out on that these creatures have to offer.