Let's Do The Happy-Dog-Dance!

You might not be able to tell from her picture, but my Grace is a happy dog ... with a capital "H" and a lot of wag. She greeted me at the door last night with such enthusiasm that the disappointments and frustrations of the day melted away instantly. Though I had left her alone for almost 12 hours with nothing to do but watch the squirrels through the back door, my Gracie didn't hold it against me. She was REALLY glad to see me. She does this jump-in-the-air, twist-slightly-to-the-right, kick-my-back-legs-up-and-smile thing that brings nothing but joy, obviously to her AND to me ... especially since I couldn't do that in a million years if I tried (at least not all at the same time).

After she inhaled a treat and made a couple of fly-by's for poochie smooches, she headed for the back door and I remembered another canine incident just a week ago ... and, it was anything but joyful. Well, I have to admit I laughed so hard that I snorted. But, there was no joy in the moment for any of the parties involved except for me and my across-the-street neighbor. Here's what happened ...

I was standing in my front yard, talking with a neighbor about life and all it was holding for each of us and our families. We both noticed something out of the corners of our eyes, and commented almost at the same time ... "Is that what I think it is?" Seems another neighbor was "walking" her dog. Now, before I continue, just let me say that the sort of dog-walking business I'm about to describe does happen frequently in our neighborhood. It got started by a fairly new family who owns a mastiff-ish dog who is larger than most human beings I know. And, they "walk" their family pooch in the Turner-and-Hooch fashion sans the control stick - they let Bowser (I've changed his name to protect the innocent) run in front of the car until his little, I mean, huge heart is content while they simply try to keep up. But, what my neighbor and I saw instead was yet another neighbor driving maybe 3 miles an hour with a long, rhinestone-encrusted leash draping out of the window, attached to the driver's hand and to ... the collar of her sweet and exhausted dachshund who's legs were moving so fast to keep up they were a blur!

I was stunned, but not so as to miss the joylessness of the moment for most involved. The driver just got busted by her neighbors for being lazy enough to walk her dog that way; the dachshund surely found no joy in being seen in that position. And the poodle in the passenger's seat ...

I didn't mention her? Oh, yeah, the OTHER family dog was SITTING in the passenger's seat taking it all in. Unless I'm exaggerating a bit, I think I even saw a bit of a smirk on her face as she watched her friend/companion on the busy end of the leash. I believe that any attitude accompanied by a smirk can never really be joy; that would just be too nasty.

Anyway. I was aware last night as I watched Gracie flit around the backyard then bounce back into the house - and into my lap once or twice - that moments of pure joy might be a matter of perspective. The running dachshund might possibly have been tickled to run into two human beings that saw something wrong with that whole picture. Too, Gracie could have pouted about the long hours just watching, not chasing, the squirrels. But, she chose to do the Happy Dog Dance over seeing a long-lost friend and a milkbone.

She makes those kinds of choices a lot ... she dances over cheese, over the 5-year-old on the other side of the fence who sometimes scratches her ears, over hearing a fellow canine bark on T.V., on seeing her "Granny" and her "Tita." I want to make those kinds of choices, too. To dance more over the stuff life holds or brings me. Now that I've made that commitment, please cut me a little slack. I may be dancing more on the inside than the out, at least until I can get the twist and smile thing down at the same time.

I hope you find something to Happy-Dog-Dance over today!