My college house recently brought in a four-legged friend.
His name is Cooper and he is a large black poodle. He was the family pet of one
of my roommates. It was surprising at first, this large dark animal rearing up
on his hind legs and pawing at my chest, but over the next few days he became a
regular part of our college family. He was always there when you needed him,
ready for an ear scratch, a walk, or a quick game of fetch. Cooper has become a
vital part of the fabric that holds us five roommates together. If all other
social interaction falls through, you can always turn to Cooper and feel
better.
There is something in a dog’s eyes that shows understanding.
I realized the same feeling with my childhood dog. If you stare into their
eyes, you find yourself reflected there. Canine eyes show utter empathy for
whatever feeling you have at that moment. They also tend to copy the behavior
of their owners. A particularly calm and stagnant household will produce animal
behavior that matches. The dog will laze around, spending periods of time
laying on the floor, getting up, drinking water, and laying on a different part
of the floor. You can typically analyze the household dynamic by the behavior
the dog exhibits. With this in mind, it is desirable to keep your pet happy,
and healthy with movement, games, and positive vibes. I feel that it is in the
best interest of both owner and pet to keep them lively and joyous.
I've always found animals comforting because they simply do not worry about many of the things that bother us on a regular basis. They don't worry about the upcoming reports that are due or the troubling story on the news. Instead, they focus on the much more basic elements of life, and in turn encourage us to do the same. Others expect so much of us. We may disappoint an employer by being late, disappoint our senior design teammates by not being technically skilled enough... But an animal will only judge us based on our ability to throw a toy or produce a few slices of apple, expectations that we are happy to meet.
ReplyDeleteI've always disliked dogs. I've always considered them a bane of my existence. Due in part to my religious beliefs and dogs attacking me, I've never been able to get along with dogs. I can recall countless times where I've just been minding my own business and then suddenly I'm running for my life, being chased by a vicious beast. Nevertheless, today I have a roommate who has a dog, and I thought the predicament that I now find myself in would never come to fruition. And I never dreamed that I would want to develop a relationship with this animal. It irritates me that this beast barks at me for doing my fluids homework, for eating my cinnamon toast crunch, for watching Stranger Things. I just want to coexist with this animal. I try to be nice to it, I think I want to be nice to it. I never thought that this animal could get past my walls. Animals do have an extra sense to get past your limitations and engage with you in a deeper, compassionate manner.
ReplyDeleteI have always grown up with dogs in my house, and have always felt a deep connection to them as a result. Some of my best memories from childhood are of walking through the forest with no company but a go romping through the trees, throwing a stick for itself, chasing deer. I think that it helps to have had a dog for as long as I can remember. Being "forced" to grow up with a family pet helped me to develop a healthy connection to what a pet can be. I've never had a bad experience with an animal either, as Mohamed mentioned he had. As a result, I missed having a pet greatly when I went off to college. When I moved out of the dorms, one of the first things I did was start looking for a dog. For me, a dog is motivation to get out and hike, to stay active, and be responsible to my body. In this way, as Momo said, animals can help you past your limitations. For me, its that I have a hard time ignoring puppy dog eyes from no walk yet today, but find it relatively easy to ignore searing back pain that signifies too much sitting. Its interesting how an pet can be so many different things to so many people.
ReplyDelete