Why We Should Be More Like Dogs

This is a picture of Junior. He is a Black Lab/ Rottweiler mix with severe fear and aggression issues. When my client adopted him, we learned that he had been abused and then chained to a tree and abandoned for at least a month. Junior has come a long way but he still has plenty of problems. One such problem is the vet's office. No big surprise there. I end up taking Junior to the vet about once every six months and he loves the ride in the car. He pokes his head out the window and takes in all the wonderful smells on the way there. This is the only time he ever gets to ride in a car. Yesterday's vet experience was particularly turbulent. Every time we go, the vet has to lasso him from a distance and then tie him to the platform. The vet clipped his claws yesterday and accidentally cut two of his nails into the quick. He yelped, thrashed, and almost severely injured himself by trying to jump down while still tethered to the platform. After this trip, I just knew Junior would be reluctant to ever get in the car again but today when we were walking, he saw my car and immediately yanked me towards it. I opened the passenger door to get my cell phone and he jumped right in with a big goofy grin on his face. You would think that he would've formed a horrible association with the car because that is what transports him to the vet but he hasn't. Even the day after a traumatic experience, he was ready to hop right in. Some would say that dogs are simple but what we know about their brains tells us that they live in the moment. Junior didn't care if he was going to end up at the vet. He just wanted to feel the breeze in his face again. So, when you start your commute home from work today and your head is still swimming with unfinished business and frustrations, take a moment to roll down your window, stick your head out, and enjoy the ride.