Great are the works of
the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them…all who follow his
precepts have good understanding.
Psalm 111:
2,10
Even—especially--
mature and responsible people are entitled to a little silliness now and then.
In my case, my silliness has taken the form of a puppy for my sixty-something birthday.
We have
always had dogs, big, mostly outdoor dogs. Our last beloved pet died six years
ago. But in the last year I have had an urge for one last dog.
For several
months, I have been researching breeds. No possibility was rejected, (At least
until I saw a 185 lb. bullmastiff in the flesh.) However, when I did the math and
realized that in ten years I might be fulfilling the exercise requirements of a
vigorous dog from a walker, I turned my research to the smaller breeds,
nowadays called “apartment dogs.” From there I selected a breed and selected a
puppy.
It had been
twenty years since we had a puppy and, wow, have things changed! The dog
whisperer is just the tip of the iceberg. Our vet, who has been in practice for
thirty-plus years, said that she is embarrassed to recall how she used to train
her dogs. Rolled up newspapers and “bad-dog”-nose-in-the poop techniques have
been soundly refuted by the findings of two decades of animal behavioral
research.
Within the
first week of life with the puppy, I was gifted with three chapter books on
puppy training—two from the breeder and one from the vet. One book the breeder
called “fabulous” takes you week-by-week for the first months of puppy
parenthood, with specific training goals for each week. (I couldn’t keep track
of all I was supposed to do, much less do it!)
As I read, I
was struck by the greater wisdom I found there. If we believe that all life is from
God and He ordered the world to work in accordance with certain principles, it
isn’t too surprising that this is so: puppies, to babies, to life.
Nancy Shirah
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