This is Louie my five year old shih tzu/Japanese Chin mix
rescue. I have had him for three months
and he is ridiculously cute, funny and sweet.
He is so easy and low maintenance. This picture was taken the first
night I had him. He is happy and easy and the best company. Lately I have been observing him with a
different perspective so here are the life lessons he has taught me. I doubt he
is unique in his behavior and your dog may be teaching you the same lessons!
Greet each day with excitement.
As soon as my feet hit the ground to get dressed Louie is
doing his happy dance because he knows he is going for a walk. Every morning I
get a kick out of his excited prance down the hall. It’s easy to smile when he is bouncing around
waiting for his harness. I am not a
morning person so this is an important lesson for me.
Don’t eat just because it’s meal time.
I love this about Louie. He is not an urgent eater. I feed him 1/3 of the cup in the morning and
evening and there is usually food leftover in his bowl from the previous meal.
He eats his tiny kibble one piece at a time but only on a rug. (This is not
part of the lesson. Eating on tile, carpet or hard wood makes sense to me). He just eats a little here and there and
keeps a nice, healthy figure. This can
be a tough one for humans. We are
creatures of habit with meal times and we eat just because. Recognizing true hunger and not just eating
lunch because it is noon is a good lesson.
And eating slowly enough to recognize when you are full and possibly
leaving food on the plate is another good lesson.
Don’t poop in your own yard.
Ok, this one is going to be inconvenient in the winter, yes,
but it sets up a perfect analogy. The
poop = your thoughts. And the yard =
your head. So don’t fill your head with negative thoughts. Eg. “I am not smart enough. I am not thin
enough. My house isn’t as nice as my friends. What if XX happens. Etc.” I am a natural optimist but this one still takes work.
I am sure there are other great lessons about napping and
enjoying car rides with the windows open but that’s enough for now. and PS, Louie is house-trained now so no more
belly-band as seen in the pic.
