January 19, 2014

Thankfully able to spend some quality time with her. Here she is enjoying a beautiful, sunny day. She loves the sun just like her mama. :-)

It has been a rough few days as our sweet dog of nearly 13 years, is experiencing kidney failure and her time with us is coming to an end. Through the tears and realization of how much she will be missed, I began to think of how important she has been to our family. Having her in our lives has taught us many things but there are three things that stand out the most to me.

Unconditional Love: One thing our dog has always shown us is her unconditional love. She does not get mad at us nor hold a grudge. No matter what kind of day we have, she is always happy to see us. We do not have to do anything to win her approval to receive her love. Her love for us is genuine. She accepts us for who we are in spite of our faults.

Companionship: She loves being with us. She gives freely of her time. She enjoys spending time just being near us regardless of how much attention we are giving her. When our lives are busy and our time with her is limited, she seems at peace with being alone. Yet, at the same time, she has come to know we are reliable and can expect us to be there for her whenever she needs us.

Happiness: Her joy and happiness are evident when she greets us and excitedly wags her tail. No matter what her day has been like, she never gets angry with us. She does not complain and, in fact, rarely does she bark at us attempting to cast any blame. Despite her inability to talk, her happiness with us is always evident.

Having a dog in our lives has been a privilege. It is sad knowing there will always be a void after she is gone. The lessons I have learned as a pet owner are lasting. The experience has helped me grow as an individual as well as help strengthen all of my relationships.

Whether a pet owner or not, my hope in sharing what I have learned is that all, who read this post, will be reminded of how important our perspective is in all of our relationships. In my opinion, a dog’s perspective can be a role model for us all.