Material Possessions - What I learned from my dogs

"It is preoccupation with possessions more than anything else that prevents us from living freely and nobly."

Bertrand Russell (British Philosopher 1872 - 1970)


The saying goes, "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks." but I have found that an old dog can give insight into matters of great importance.

When we adopted Zack from the SPCA he was already seven years old, a middle-aged dog. I have no details about his former life or what precipitated his relocation to the SPCA. I have found that dogs are sensitive on the subject of having been given-up and are generally not forthcoming with the details.  I agree, let bygones be bygones.

Zack

It was a snowy, blustering February afternoon when we adopted Zack. Arriving home, I gave him a small blanket on which to curl up. He immediately latched onto the blanket, chewed a few holes in it and began to drag it around the house wherever he went. The first time I went to move the blanket I was surprised to find Zack grab the other end and begin a serious "tug-of-war", growling and thrashing about. His grip is so strong you can lift the blanket and almost raise Zack right off the floor. This makes for great fun, I like how worked up he gets over his blanket, growling, teeth bared, eyes blazing. I can hear my inner adult saying, "Sandra, are you teasing that dog??" While my inner child says, "No, we're just playing!"



Our previous dog, Abby, loved raw-hide dog bagels. She'd sit contentedly and chew on a "bagel" until it was gone, making very short work of it indeed. (She once broke into a bag of real bakery bagels and I suppose, knowing her good fortune might be short-lived, hid all six bagels in various places around the house.) So, I bought Zack a raw-hide bagel. Very gingerly he took it from my hand and ran upstairs to his blanket, leaving the bagel untouched like a gem on a velvet cushion. I assume he isn’t the raw-hide type, yet he is possessive about the bagel, he likes it to be on his blanket at all times.

Because Zack seemed a little anxious when he was left alone, I bought him a "Kong". Kongs are great, they're heavy duty rubber cones with a hollow interior into which you can place a dog biscuit or even peanut butter and your dog will (hopefully) be so occupied with chewing and trying to dislodge the treat and he will forget that he is lonely.

Zack.  His expression says it all

The Kong has become Zack's prized possession, if anyone comes into the house, he runs to get his Kong and makes sure that it was safely hidden or he stands over it, preventing the intruder from making off with his goods.

Zack's worldly possessions

A few months later we adopted another dog, Grace, who at fourteen is definitely a senior dog. Unlike Zack, Grace doesn't drag her blanket around; she shares it freely with Zack or any other visiting dog. Grace has little interest in chew toys or toys in general. What Grace does love is affection. Oh she isn't a saint by any means; she loves to sit beside us at the dinner table and comment (whine) on how good the food smells, sometimes even laying her big paw on my lap as if to say, "Darling, what a marvelous cook you must be." But I am not swayed by her flattery; no feeding the dogs from the table.

Grace.  Not a care in the world

There is a pattern of behavior that has developed with our dogs that I think is very telling. After each walk I unleash both dogs and head to the pantry to get them a dog-treat. Grace is always at my heels and Zack? Well wouldn't you know, Zack runs upstairs to his blanket, he checks to make sure that his bagel and his Kong are both stilll safe, and then he comes back to the kitchen for his treat. He doesn't do this on occasion, he does it every time. His mind is always on his possessions, “Are they safe? I better check." If Zack had an allowance he'd spend it on an insurance policy that would cover his "stuff". Grace? I think she'd spend it on a chair at the dinner table where she could enjoy good food and the company of those whom she loves and who love her.



Don't get me wrong, we adore Zack. His quirky ways make him very loveable and very "human".   Some of us could learn a little something from Zack and Grace.  After all I don’t think it’s ever too late to teach an old dog a few new tricks.

Thank you so much for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have a dog-gone good day,

Sandra