May I be the Person My Dog Would be

The saying,’May I be the person my dog thinks I am”. Could be morphed into “May I be the person my dog would be”. What dog breed I would be if I were a dog? The answer that comes immediately to my mind is Boarder Collie. My first dog I had as an adult was a Border Collie named Mandy. She had energy to spare, was gorgeous, and pretty consistently happy. Who am I kidding, on my best day I wouldn’t compete with Mandy, but I would love to, and some of my ex-boyfriends would probably claim I am as much of a handful.

Mandy noticed when I had gotten my saddle out, and would not allow me to catch her and leave her in the house. Half an hour out on the trail, Mandy would appear by my side, having been stalking me for the first half mile in the bushes. . She would have triumphant glee on her face, her tail waving like a flag and a prance in every step. Mandy was also an instigator: she loved to buzz the fence of the dogs behind our house and work them into a barking frenzy. When out with the horse she would get hot and find the nearest birdbath to cool off in, many times knocking it off it’s pedestal and causing a total panic amongst the birds. Oblivous to the pandemonium she created, she would be off to her next adventure (I would like a helping of this personality trait too, for far too often I bend over backwards trying to figure out how I am responsible for every problem).

One time while riding with Mandy by my side, a coyote leaped out of the brush by our side and tried to grab Mandy by her shoulders and pull her down. Mandy rushed away, then ran out of the wash thru the scrub brush, 4 coyotes on her tail. I had to follow frantically behind, sticking to the trail in the wash and hoping Mandy was safe. I knew she was not in a critical condition because moments later I heard her barking, loud and authoritatively. I will never forget the scene I witnessed coming out of that wash: Mandy was on the pavement running back and forth incessantly, while four coyotes stood on the dirt of the empty lot, for some reason hesitant to move onto the road. Mandy was giving them a triumphant scolding- if those coyotes DARED to come on her property; she was going to give them hell! I wish I had her speed, her triumphant joy, her ability to use her wiles to get out of almost certain death and definitely a terrible jam. When I rode with Mandy by my side, I knew she could take care of herself, and that she was fast enough to outrun whatever happened to be stupid enough to try to chase her.

After Mandy, I have had Bichons. I had a heart that needed healing, and my Bichon Patsy showed up for the job. I love how my Bichons completely love, how they forgive, and the fact that they are almost always happy. When my Bichon Patsy took dog obedience, she did it for a much different reason than my Border collie did.

When Mandy was in obedience, she wanted to excel. She would find a shortcut to every command issued her, and I would have to re-teach her how to do it like the slower dogs in the class. Driving to obedience class Mandy would be a hot mess, jumping from front to back seat, looking out the windows, not holding still for an instant. But when we got to the class, Mandy had the precise composure of a West Point cadet. Meanwhile my Bichons endured obedience training because it meant being together more. They did just enough to not get in trouble. They are easy going, and don’t see the point of being the best, but always see the best in others. They are happy to just be, a trait that would allow me to be a little more laid back.  In my teens and twenties, I was a border collie, now, I am happy with the Bichon approach

Of course the best dogs are hybrids, and a dash of a few other breed’s traits wouldn’t be bad either. As an animal communicator, I have gotten to talk to almost all of the breeds, and have found value and distinct differences in them all. I have never owned a German Shepard, but have come to value them for their sense of loyalty to their humans, and their knowledge that they have value.  I love Corgi’s for their ability to make people happy while also knowing that they deserve to be pampered. A pugle (beagle & pug) stole my heart with his adorable good looks and vivacious attitude.  The beagles I have worked with have an energy that makes Border Collies look lethargic, while still being again, adorable. Jack Russells are intense also, but have the energy to make it thru a hard work day on the ranch, hunting rodents and still playing with their owners.

As a communicator I have found that all dogs are incapable of lying. If humans had that trait, it seems to me we could get a lot more done because we wouldn’t be mind-screwing each other, and wasting time and energy finding out what the truth really is. Dogs  know how to live in the moment much more completely than most humans.. I know from the Angels that the happiest way to exist is to live in present time, and it is also where you create from.

If you get in a disagreement with most dogs, and realize they are right, but don’t say so, and the next morning they have forgotten all about it. They do not hold a grudge if you don’t apologize. In fact, they let it fall away. I would like to have all those traits, at least in some measure.

 

Yes, it is true. The more people I meet, the more I like my dog (Mark Twain). Or more precisely, the more I wish we had our dog’s traits.

This article was included in “your dog dopplanger” on http://dogvacay.com/blog/  They have a great idea over there- that your dog does best being taken care of by someone in their home, not a boarding “caged” situation. I even use “PARK & BARK a dog grooming system that comes to my house, so my dogs are never wasting hours away in a cage. After all, they are FAMILY, and would you put your kid in a cage?