Dogs, Communication, and Letting Go of Expectations
She’s cute but she’s going to tell you exactly how it is.
I’m not an anthropomorphist. I appreciate all sentient beings’ abilities to communicate in their own ways. However, I got caught up in imposing my own idea for entertaining my parents’ dog Ruby when they visited recently. And as a result, got to experience how Ruby communicated her different outlook on the situation.
Normally when I visit my parents’ house, I bring a dog cookie from a local pet supply store. They are baked, healthy, and shaped as hearts, footballs and cupcakes, coated with a yogurt frosting. Ruby loves these cookies. First she will take one and hide it somewhere, like under a couch cushion. Then she’ll retrieve it to show it off to the humans in the house before hiding it somewhere new. If she remembers where she hid one, she’ll eat it at some point. Otherwise my mom will find one in her purse one day, or in the toe of a slipper.
A prized doggie cookie.
When my parents visited me with Ruby, I thought it would be fun to take her to the pet store and let her get a cookie directly from the source.
Ruby is an adorable white, waggie puff of a dog. She loves to greet friends and strangers alike, but has mixed feelings about other canines. As we went in the store, the owner’s large, old huskie was lying on the doormat. His dog isn’t always there, but when he is I like to stop and pet him for a while. But this time I wasn’t sure how Ruby would react, so the owner shuffled his big dog behind the counter.
Then as my mom and I were debating which cookie was the cutest, Ruby pooped on the doormat. The owner took it well, but we were so embarrassed.
And because I go through life experiencing situations as metaphors and parables, I realized that I had created an unrealistic expectation of Ruby. In my mind, I imagined she would be excited to get her favorite cookie at the store where I buy them. In reality, Ruby was concerned about letting the owner’s dog know that she was making her mark on his space.
Ruby’s direct communication was a reminder that having a positive attitude about any event and hoping it will go well is fine, but all kinds of things are beyond our control. Other people (and animals) act on their own autonomy and unexpected factors are part of many situations. Things may not turn out the way we envision them.
So there’s the moral of the story. If you fixate on the outcome of events instead of letting them unfold as they will, sometimes all you end up with is shit on the carpet.
“Yes I want the cookie but I’m just going to poop here so the other dog knows I’m no pushover. ‘kay? Cool.”
excellent moral. thank you. 🙂 on a related note. i recently fostered a puppy and fully expected the shitting on the carpet even though i kept an eagle eye on him…it only takes a second! my point is: sometimes if you expect the poopy times, it’s somehow not as bad.
Good point! Realistic expectations seem like the the best way to go. Then however it turns out, you go with the flow. That is kind of a pun on dogs peeing on the carpet. 😉