Thursday, November 24, 2011

There’s something magical about watching animals interact with one another.  How they manage, if left to their own devices, to mitigate problems that arise with swiftness that doesn’t harbor guilt, hard feelings or negativity.  Humans could learn a lot from animals if they only took the time to pay close attention.

These thoughts are tumbling around in my head as I’ve enjoyed watching my mother and son dogs interact with one another over the past week.  Though they have never lived farther apart that a fence separating them, being this up-close-and-personal requires certain adjustments be made.

It’s been gratifying to watch how Sadie, the mother dog, will take and take and take from her son, Foster, but then, once she’s had enough, a simple growl or snap at the air is enough to put him back in line and make him know he’s crossed the line.  He doesn’t react with anger or pout.  Instead, he graciously accepts that it’s time to stop bothering his mother and lays down beside her in harmony.  Again, humans could learn a lot from this example.

I have always allowed my dogs to work things out amongst themselves, and for the most part, that’s been for the best.  As such, my dogs drink from the same water dish, can eat food beside one another without fighting and freely share toys with one another.  Should one have a particular toy they really want to play with and not give up, again, a simple growl lets the other know that—for now—that toy belongs to them.  That when they’re done, it will be available to be shared.  Again, there are no hard feelings with this mentality. 

I spend a lot of time watching my animals.  Always have.  It pleases me to see how they work things out and in the process, I learn important life skills that I can then apply to my own interactions with others.