As much as it’s painful to lose a beloved dog, as we truly have a short time with them, during that shared time, there is so much room for laughter. Through training times and through day-to-day life.
That’s one thing about dog parenting I appreciate, a dog with a sense of humor. I’ve had more dogs with senses of humor than not; and though I loved them all, the ones with humor dug a deeper wedge in my heart. Even when times are worse than worse, the dog with a sense of humor can somehow pull a laugh from me I didn’t think was there. Those precious laugh makers are miracle workers.
I’m lucky to have some laugh-makers, but I think the one dog who establishes the sense of humor in my pack is Luigi. He’s the Dobie looking over the bath tub wanting the ball the little Aussie, Dudley, is showing off to him. Luigi has played games with me and the other dogs in our pack since the day he arrived. He makes me laugh everyday. I’m not sure what my pack would be like without him, and frankly, I’m not looking forward to finding out.
As St. Patty’s day arrives, I am going to tip my shamrock decorated hat to Luigi. He’s a high maintenance Dobie with special dietary needs due to calcium oxalate stones, but I’ll admit that he is well worth every extra bit of effort I have to put into finding and buying his supplements and home cooking his meals. And while I’m at it, Dudley, the Aussie, has his own funny bone, that tickles me, too.
Laughter IS the best medicine. Even when everything seems hopeless, to be able to shed some stress through laughter is grand. And imagine laughing so hard that your tears roll down your legs!
Happy St. Patty’s day, and may you have the best laughs with your dog/s today and everyday. Here are some laughs from my dog training past.
If you’re not laughing enough training or living with your dog, contact me for help replacing frustration with joy and laughter.
By Helen Verte
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor
Dog Training South Florida
