Because Louie is still learning things like Go To Your Kennel and Your Kennel Is Your Home, I like to give him treats to both bribe him for going into his crate voluntarily and for rewarding him for doing just what he was bribed to do. And then because he spends a lot of time in his crate to keep him from clunking that heavy and casted leg around, I also like to give Louie super fun things to chew on while he's in lock down.
The other dogs are crazy jealous of this.
I have a reserve of all natural bones and other random (and albeit somewhat gross) animal parts that they sell for dogs to gnaw on. The dogs love these SO MUCH. So when I put Louie in his crate when the other dogs get to be out, I'll graciously toss him a premium bone. Spoiled little Louie has decided that he'll show his protest at being locked up by ignoring the fun things bestowed upon him. While Louie stands at the door of his crate, looking at me through the bars as if to say, "seriously? Again? Have you no heart?", the other dogs stand on the other side of the crate door looking in as if to say, "You gonna eat that? Can I have it?"
When I come back to rescue Louie in an hour or three hours or however long it takes me to run errands in town or get some sewing done or whatever, he still hasn't touched his treats. I know this because not only have they not moved at all, but things like ears or tracheas tend to look rather like a mangled dishrag when they get damp from being chewed. Louie's never look that way.
The dog protests his lockdown by refusing to acknowledge that I've given him treats.
Funny how this is a scenario of life, isn't it? It seems that no matter what kind of awesome thing we have, if it's not someone else's brand of awesome, it's just not awesome enough. Margo, Darla and Jill have freedom. Life doesn't get much sweeter than that. Yet all they want are the treats that Louie gets. And I know that they'd appreciate the treats even if they were locked up because they're not too good to chew on things while in lockdown. All Louie wants is to be attached to me in some way. He could care less about the gourmet snacks that get lavished upon him. In fact, his freedom isn't even valuable to him if he has to be separated from me. But dogs can't go to Walmart or the grocery store.
I have learned, while watching my dogs, that I need to be content with all that I have. My house isn't a McMansion, but it's far bigger than many other homes. And the house we moved out of, too. The food we have to eat isn't gourmet, but its plenteous and nutritious. And even though the kids are the age where they're starting to scatter hither and yon, they're maturing into amazing young adults and make us ridiculously proud every single day. Far too often, we tend to focus on what others have and compare it to what we have, and that's never good. We can always find something inferior about what we have, but we can always find something superior as well. We just choose not to see that. When we compare, which is never healthy, we see the shortfalls and never how our lives are so good.
I choose to find the happy and amazing in life.
1 comment:
Ah I love this, you are learning to be content. Me too. I have to work at seeing the glass half full. He is so little do you want to tote him in a little doggie carry bag? They make ones you wear that look like African baby carriers. But wait no, I jest, something would happen. Maybe Louie can cultivate contentment too. They are such cute dogs.
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