This article celebrates the joy of living with dogs. These four-legged companions, who love us without reservation, are honest to a fault, but also full of mischief and mayhem. I love dogs and life is a lot better, richer, and happier with them.
New Table of Contents
1. What My Dogs Taught Me
I think one of the most important lessons my dogs taught me is to live in the moment. Telling someone to "live in the moment" is similar to telling someone to "buy low and sell high". Easy to say, but very difficult to implement. Dogs, however, make living in the moment seem easy, because that is what they naturally do, every second of the day. My dogs help me stay connected to the world around me and provide me with a fun and sometimes very demanding activity to take my mind away from my troubles.My dogs remind me to laugh many times every day. My Shiba has this one move where he puts his head down on the ground with his butt sticking up in the air - it is just too precious. He thinks it is such a great "move" that he does it all the time. Sometimes he flips over and lands on his back. Dogs have so many goofy antics that you cannot help but laugh.
"Remember, men need laughter sometimes more than food." ~~ [Anna Fellows Johnston]
- Top 5 Lessons My Dogs Taught Me on How to Enjoy Life
- I learned much from my dogs, but the most useful lessons were about happiness and how to live a happy life.
I Also Learnt Much About How to Live a Happy Life from the Dalai Lama
How to See Yourself As You Really Are
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/11/2009) 
How to Practice : The Way to a Meaningful Life
Amazon Price: $10.08 (as of 12/11/2009)
Insight from the Dalai Lama: 2010 Day-to-Day Calendar
Amazon Price: $12.59 (as of 12/11/2009)
2. Why Dogs are Better Than People
1. Dogs share a bond with us that is difficult to replicate with people because they have a natural sense of empathy, and can easily sense emotions, however slight, in their humans. Thus while your life partner may be oblivious to your troubles, your dog will come over and put his head on your lap.2. Dogs also spend much of their lives observing us; our mannerisms, routines, and quirks. They probably understand us better than we understand ourselves.
3. Dogs communicate better. They don't say yes when they mean no and vice versa. With a dog you always know where you stand.
The reasons why dogs are so much better than people are never clearer than when I am walking my dog. There are always lawn-Nazis around who shout and scream at us, and chase us off their lawns. There are people who leave their dogs running loose in the neighborhood, not caring if a car should hit the dog. Perhaps if we spent more time with dogs, some of their better nature would rub off on us.
- The Top 5 Most Idiotic People You Meet When Walking Your Dog
- Walking with your dog sounds like a really pleasant enterprise. It brings to mind images of an off-leash, Lassie, walking next to you, in a field of daisies. However, amid the daisies there are neighborhood idiots who chase you off their lawns, and litter the sidewalk with broken bottles and cigarette butts.
3. Bravery in the Face of Adversity
I am privileged to share my life with a tripod (three-legged) Siberian Husky called Shania. She had a congenital deformity called radial head luxation, i.e., the bones on her left front leg were misaligned and she was unable to put weight on that leg. This condition is rare, especially for a Siberian Husky, and we were never able to determine its cause. We speculate that it may have been from birth trauma, since she was a c-section puppy. We had hoped to correct the problem with orthopedic surgery, but unfortunately, there was too much cartilage damage in the joint, and the surgeon recommended amputation.It was a shock when she came home with three legs and a BIG bandage around her torso. Shania recovered quickly from the surgery and is now a happy, bouncy, somewhat spoilt member of the family. The most striking thing about owning a tripod dog is that people seem to focus on it so much more than dogs. Shania is very well adjusted and gets along with all the dogs that she meets. They treat her just like any other dog; whereas people often view her with sadness and pity.
Tripod dogs often live very happy lives and I imagine they don't worry much at all about their disability. We truly can learn much from dogs.
- Three Legged Dog: Tips on How to Care for a Three Legged (Tripod) Dog
- This article provides tips, and information on how to care for a three-legged dog or tripod dog. Three legged dogs or tripod dogs can live a happy, long, and fulfilling life if owners follow some simple special care rules.
Some Useful Equipment for a Tripod Dog
Dog Water Bottle - Handi Drink 17 oz. - The Portable, Spill-Proof Way to Keep Pets Hydrated
Amazon Price: $4.29 (as of 12/11/2009)
Tuf-Foot - 8 oz
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
4. The Many Faces of Dogs
Dogs are interesting and challenging because their temperaments are so varied and ever changing. Dogs do many things that gladden our hearts but they can also be destructive and aggressive when not properly trained or handled.When choosing a dog, it is important to find one that suits your temperament and your lifestyle. Do not get a dog with really high energy if you prefer a quieter lifestyle. A dog is a long term and expensive commitment, so it is crucial to find the right one for you. Getting the wrong dog can be extremely stressful for everyone involved, especially the dog.
- Top Dog Breeds: Dog Breeds Most Preferred by Men and Women
- If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, I was curious to see if Martians and Venusians also have big differences in their preferences for dog breeds.
- Finding and Buying a Cheap Puppy
- It is an exciting time! You are looking for a puppy to share your life with. You can't wait to get one, but you need to look for one that will fit your budget. There are four places where you can shop for a puppy ...
5. Do Dogs Need Other Dogs?
Humans derive a lot of joy from dogs and vice versa. Compared to their distant ancestor, the wolf, dogs are much more successful today because they have hitched their evolutionary wagon to us humans. An interesting question to consider is whether dogs still need other dogs.I think that dogs need their humans first and foremost. If they can also have dog companions that the get along with, then so much the better for them. However, they do not need dog companions like they do human companions.
- Do Dogs Need to Socialize with Other Dogs?
- Many articles discuss how to socialize your dog with other dogs. Dog-to-dog socialization has become such a popular buzz word that it is currently accepted as a necessity for dogs. Here, we take a step back and focus on whether dogs really need to socialize with other dogs.
- Dog Parks: Good or Bad?
- Dog parks enable your dog to enjoy off-leash time and socialize with other dogs. However, dog parks may become dangerous when irresponsible owners bring aggressive or under-socialized dogs. Should you bring your dog to the dog park? We examine its pros and cons.
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- Dog Training, How to Solve Dog Behavior Problems, Dog Socialization, Dog Shopping Tips, Living with Dogs, and much more.
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- Maxxamillion Maxxamillion Nov 7, 2008 @ 10:11 am
- Great Lens! One of the greatest gifts that dogs give humans is the gift of unconditional love.
Love Maxxamillion
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- cannedguds cannedguds Nov 2, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
- I really love people who show their love for their dogs! I show my love for my Shiba Inu in many different ways and I show to people how proud I am with my dog through many things and right now, I'm doing a Shiba Inu training and it's great to learn how to care and train for them on your own! Thanks for sharing this lens! It's now occupying a soft spot in my heart!
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- alslad alslad Sep 5, 2008 @ 11:16 am
- Thanks for adding another quality lens to the Gone to The Dogs Group!
Darren
www.squidoo.com/groups/gone-to-the-dogs
by ShibaShake
ShibaShake Home. In a previous life I did research in data visualization and online communities. Some of my work is described in this Forbes EGang Wir... (more)
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