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Nature, Nurture, or Nuts?

Everyone likes to discuss the topic of nature versus nurture in order to understand why we do the things we do. I am a simple dog with simple thoughts.  I’ve read some Goddard, and dad teaches sociology, so i have an opinion on the subject, but i don’t want to come across as too cerebral… WOL (woof out loud)  No, in truth, i don’t have much to say about personality development and the factors with the greatest impact on the wonderful creatures we become because i think we are all wonderful creatures.

Case in point…

Molly, mom and i recently paid a visit to gramma and grampa’s house to drop off some books and pick up a few odds and ends.  There is a beast who lives at their house—his name is Rocky—and i am never allowed to get out of the car to play with him.  Apparently, he and Molly used to rough house too much, and mom thinks i’m more of a gentle giant than a tough tumbler who might not be able to hang with the big dogs.

After leaving the car in the no-play zone, mom went inside for a few minutes, no biggie, and i figured i’d spread out in the back seat to enjoy the cold breeze coming through the window.  Who doesn’t love the opportunity to close their eyes in the sparkling sunshine and be one with their world? Ommmmmmm.

There i was, not two seconds into my spiritual consciousness, when a massive weight in the form of a lovable pitbull whacked me in the side of the head.

I’ll tell you who doesn’t love the opportunity to chant her mantra in the back of the car while chilling in the sunshine, my big sister Molly.  Mom and gramma weren’t even out of sight when Molly was over the divider, into the front seat, and ripping through the treats we were suppose to be saving for along our daily walk. I will admit, i was initially annoyed because i really like treats, but i had to let it go, it was her Cujo impression to put on, not mine.

Back to my dream state.  

BLARING HORN BLARING HORN BLARING HORN BLARING HORN BLARING HORN

WTFB? (What the Fur Ball???)

I peered over the seat, and i pup you not, Molly had her right paw in the center of the steering wheel and was honking out a rhythm on the car horn that was fit to wake the dead.  Thus ended my moment of meditation.

I cannot say for sure why i was content to use our solitude to lose myself while Molly just plain lost it, but be assured, the incident at gramma and grampa’s was not the only time we have barked up different trees.

Call it nature, call it nurture. To me, it doesn’t matter.  We simply choose to approach our days differently and react in our own perfectly imperfect ways. Sure i could have nipped her in the butt right there, but my twenty months of life have taught me to accept what i cannot change! (Is that nurture?)

There are millions of dogs in the world (adopt!), each of us is unique, and doggone it, i think that diversity is cool. So, you be you…and be the best darn you you can…but don’t get so caught up in being that you forget to let the dog next door be as well.  i’m a dog, i love life, and i have flaws.  i’m perfect. imperfect. Just. Like. You.

Molly and me…perfect together

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Sometimes I Eat Poop

I get to go for a walk EVERY DAY!  We should stop and celebrate that fact right off the bat because i know there are thousands of dogs who spend their lives tied up or in cages who would love to go for a walk.  So, let me say it again, i GET to go for a walk every day.

 

Usually when i’m out walking i’m like a kid in a candy store–or a dog on a walk–running around, breathing in the fresh air, checking out what’s going on in the neighborhood.  Sometimes i get to walk on a trail in the woods, sometimes i get to go to a community park, and sometimes i get to go into the town where my mom grew up and check out the old sights with her.  It is hard to say which kind of walk i like best as they all have a little something special to offer. Town is great because i like to look in windows and see how people have decorated their houses. (maybe don’t repeat that if people think it’s creepy!?) The community parks are nice too, but i feel some pressure to be on my best behavior when i see all the manicured walkways, pretty benches, and signs with rules. Being in the woods on a trail is perhaps my favorite. When i’m out in front of mom, dad, and Molly on a trail, it is totally my responsibility to make sure we stay on the right path.  If i’m lucky, we might see a bear or some deer or even a horse on the trail! Whatever we see, i’m just happy i can put one foot in front of the other, then the other, then the other. I get to go for a walk every day!

 

No matter where we walk, i like to put my nose to the ground and see who has been there before me.  Mom doesn’t always get how much fun this is because her nose is nowhere near as keen as mine. If you’re a dog, and i am, there are smells everywhere.  Take the time to stop and smell the roses, literally, do it. I try not to get fixated on all the temptations around me, but i can’t always help myself. Imperfect Phil. Here is the part you’ve been waiting for, the part i hesitate to admit, but the truth is, sometimes i eat poop.

 

I can’t help myself!  I don’t know why i do it!  It’s there, i see it, and i want to take a quick bite.  Gross, i know, but i do it, and then i move on, i forgive myself because i’m perfect.

 

There comes a time in every one of our days when we see a cookie, or a potato chip, or an extra large latte with whipped cream on top, and we know we shouldn’t take a bite but we do…and that’s ok.  We can’t beat ourselves up over a little indulgence once in a while, and we certainly shouldn’t obsess or feel guilty. I mean, the poop is there, so have a nibble.

 

I do believe healthy eating is important, and normally i stick to my five cups of dry food and two cans of wet food a day, but a dog’s got to have a little fun!  I tell myself, “phil, you’re a good dog, you exercise, you drink plenty of water, and you get a good night’s sleep each day, so allow yourself a treat!” Life is all about balance, not body image.  If i feel good, work hard, and take care of myself, then i deserve a tiny morsel of delight.  i’m a dog, i love life, and i have flaws.  i’m perfect. imperfect. Just. Like. You.

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Self-Doubt

Sometimes i see something in the woods, and i think to myself, “i just have to run after that!”  Usually i’m not suppose to just take off after what i see, but how else am i going to find out what’s there!?  Maybe it’s a deer, or a squirrel (i love to chase squirrels), or a phantom dog come to visit me!  i don’t know what it is, but it caught my eye and BAM, i have to go.  It’s not that i doubt the decision to run head first into the forest…or the lake…or the river…or the snow, i mean, that’s always fun…it’s that i doubt if i’m running right.

That is a silly self-doubt, but i wonder if maybe i should have gone left first, or maybe i should have zigged when i zagged.  i wonder if the effort will be worth the pay-off when i’m belly deep into what i saw.  i wonder if i saw anything at all or if it was a momentary mirage. In the end, none of those doubts matter because if i make a mistake it will only be another small imperfection in a perfect me.

Do you know why?

It is simple, i am the only me, so how could my run possibly be wrong?

Have you ever seen a 130 pound hot mess of a puppy go barreling into the woods…or the lake, or the river…or the snow?

Picture tail bouncing, eyes blazing, mouth open, and drool flying.  Hear a thoroughbred horse racing down the back stretch.  Imagine the air blowing through your fur and your heart as open and free as the first time you sprinted across the dog park.  i’m a dog, i love life, and i have flaws.  i’m perfect.  imperfect.  Just. Like. You.

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Perfection

When i think of perfection, i think of the scene in Friends when Chandler is trapped in an ATM vestibule with supermodel Jill Goodacre and replies to her offer for a piece of gum that it would be “perfection”.  Chandler is doing his best to impress…to bring his A-game, but he falls short.  The scene is funny, and Chandler loathes his choice of words, but doesn’t it reflect a little piece of us all?  Aren’t we all imperfect in our constant quests for perfection?

The best part about this connection is that i’m a dog, so i can’t even chew gum.

i have a good life.  In fact, i have a great life, just ask any of my friends.  i wake my people up every single morning with a giant wet nose on the side of the bed, and i just cannot wait to start the day to see what adventures are in front of me!  Sometimes, those adventures are as grand as a six-mile hike in the mountains, and sometimes they are as simple as staring out the back door for hours, but man alive, the opportunities are all mine, and it is my choice to make the most of them. I get to BE!

It is that choice, that optimism, that inspired me to start this blog.  I have got a lot of joy to share.  People say i make them feel good through my silly antics, my goofy face, and my occasional deaf ear.  I can’t keep all this love to myself; I have to share.  So check back often and follow me through the ups and downs of life as a giant dog.  Leave me a comment when you visit because i’ll sure be happy to know i made you smile, and it won’t hurt you to take a few minutes out of your day to remember what really matters:  finding perfection in our imperfect moments.  i’m a dog who loves life and has flaws.  i’m perfect.  Imperfect.  Just. Like. You. Phil, out.