The Animals Will Teach Us

 For most all of my adult life, I have invested my life in people.  People such as my family, the many families I had the honor to serve during difficult times and the people who looked for me for leadership in the corporate world.

I am confident I learned much more from the people I invested in than they learned from me.

But since I am six months into retirement, things have changed.  Drastically changed.  I now spend my days investing my life in a …dog.   

Twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week type of investing. 

Even in retirement, I am still learning.

I am reminded of a verse in Job chapter 12.   The first part of verse 7 says, “But ask the animals and they will teach you.”

Yep. They will do that - if you just ask and pay attention.

We’ve had a dog almost my entire married life.  Some were smarter than others.  There was a difference with the other dogs though. I was working. I was in and out but mostly out.  The dogs of the past were glad to see me when I came home and I patted them on the head and even spent time with them when I could.

I even shed a tear or two when each of them eventually crossed the rainbow bridge.  You get attached.  I have always loved dogs.

Our last dog was a miniature Schnauzer named Lucy.  We had her about fourteen years before she crossed the rainbow bridge.  It was difficult. She had been gone for over a year before we started discussing the idea of getting another dog.  We knew a dog would tie us down with retirement on the horizon.  When you have a dog, you just cannot pick up and leave for a few days on the spur of the moment.   Arrangements have to be made for the dog.  That is a separate spur of the moment trip that can cost almost as much as the trip the humans are planning.

Conee & Kathy Day 1

During a weak moment in the middle of a world-wide pandemic, we decided to get another dog.  We were stuck at home anyway.  We also blame our weak moment on our grand dog, Mister Elwood.  He is a Golden Doodle and we kept him every now and then for our kids.  Mister Elwood is very large and lovable.   We wanted the lovable but figured we did not need the large at our stage in life.  

We adopted our little black Golden Doodle puppy on September 2, 2020.   Since we knew she would be spending lots of time at Lake Oconee, we named her Conee.  She was eight weeks old.

She was cute but it was not fun at first.   We would take turns taking her out every few hours (when we would have been sleeping) to make sure she learned where to go to the bathroom.  The yelping during the night also did not help us with our sleep

But we were determined to have an obedient dog.  We worked with her and played with her.  Eventually we even sent her to a professional trainer so she would learn to be obedient and polite.

She certainly learned stuff there that has been very helpful.   For example, Conee waits at the door when we open it until we give her permission to go out the door.  The other day Kathy had made several trips to the car as we were getting ready to leave for the lake.   Although the car was in the garage, I saw Conee follow her out the door without Kathy noticing her.  All I had to say was, “Conee, get back inside.”  She immediately went back inside and stood at the open door until I told her she could go out.

Very cool doggie.  

Conee will sit on command pretty much anytime and will come on command when she is outside and she will while inside if she decides she wants to come.  She for sure knows what it means. 

Conee will stop chewing on a cardboard box too but only after we remove the box.  And she will stop ripping up a paper towel or a napkin - but only after we pick tip all the torn pieces and thrown them in the trash. 

She will also stop excitedly jumping on a guest who walks in the door when we physically hold her and keep her from doing it.   She sure doesn’t stop by command although I am confident she knows what “stop” means.

But when it is just us - which is most of the time - Conee is very laid back and relaxed. Except for those times when she gets the zoomies.  We pretty much just let her zoom when that hits her.

Conee loves to sit on the sofa with Kathy and put her head in her lap or jump in my chair with me and stand on my chest.

But I have learned when you are with a dog all day every day, they learn much more than they teach at doggie schools.  Conee listens to every word we say to each other and the way we say it.  When we say we are going to the store, she perks up and waits to see if she is getting to go with us.  If we say, “we’ll be back in a little while,” she will immediately go to another room.  It is almost as if she doesn’t want to see us walk out the door.  If we ask her if she wants to go with us or if she wants to go for a ride, she immediately goes to the door wagging her tail.

She knows the difference between the front door and back door.  If we ask her if she wants to go out back, she quickly heads to the back door.  If we ask her if she wants to go for a walk, she happily heads to the front door.

If she has to go to the bathroom, she will walk up to one of us and stare it us.  If one of us doesn’t pay attention, she will go to the other.  If neither of us pay attention, she will got back to the first one, stare and bark. 

Conee knows when we say we are going “home” or to the “lake.”  She goes to the door and knows it will take a while so she lies down in the seat when we get in the car for the trip.   If we are going to the store, she sits on the console between us. 

Conee never hangs out in a room neither of us are in.   She is always with us if we are together and with one of us if we are in different rooms.

She sleeps in our bedroom.  If we mention that we are ready to go to bed, she immediately goes in the bedroom and jumps on the bed to watch us get ready for bed.  She absolutely loves bedtime.  If Kathy goes to bed before me, she will stay with her until she gets in the bed and then come find me and look at me as if to say, “Are you going to bed or not?”

When we get in the bed, as long as the light is on, Conee will chew on a bone or a toy.  When the lights go off,  she puts all that aside and goes to sleep.  Conee starts out at night on the bed.  At some point she will sleep on the floor.  But every morning she is back on the bed. She goes back and forth.  She never ever leaves the bedroom.   As long as it is dark, she leaves us alone.  When the sun comes up, she begins to move in, taking turns with each of us.  She will lay her head on our shoulder and gently nudge her nose into our neck.   She never barks to wake us up but licks us gently on the arm or the neck. 

We take turns taking her out for her morning walk.  She knows that and it seems like a game to her to figure out who is going with her for the early morning walk.

We take longer walks during the day.  At the lake, we take the same path every day which takes about 40 minutes.   She knows exactly where she is every step of the way.  When we are getting close to the house on our return, she crosses the road at the same exact spot every time (without our lead) knowing that is the way we go home.   

If I am walking her at the lake and Kathy is outside and calls for her, I let her off the leash and she runs as fast as she can run to Kathy.  That also works the same if Kathy is walking her and she lets her go to come to me.  Interestingly, she never runs straight to either of us.  She runs between the two parked vehicles because that is the path we walk when she is on the leash. 

I have learned that dogs are smarter than we think they are.  When you spend time with them, they pick up on everything.  The learning is natural too.  It is not something one has to be crammed down their throats.

When old folks like us learn from dogs, the learning is just as natural.

For instance, Conee has taught us to get excited when guests show up at the door.  When you have been around lots of people all your life and now you are not, it is not a good thing to always be isolated. We may not jump up and down on you like Conee does, but it can be pretty exciting for us when you show up.

Conee at Lake Oconee

Basic commands are important in retirement.  When Kathy says “Come,” I listen carefully.  And If I want to, I get up and head her way - if I am inside.   Just like Conee.

Old folks do not need to lie in bed half the morning. Conee has taught us to get up when the sun comes up even though we do not have anywhere to be. That makes our days longer and better.  It also makes the morning coffee tastier. 

Retired folks should walk and walk some more. Conee loves to walk so we have to walk.  If Conee was not around, I am afraid we would not be doing nearly as much walking.  She is teaching us to live longer.

Old folks need a routine - even if it is a relaxed one.  If it is walking around the same time every day or walking the same path or getting up at the same time,  I believe a routine is good for the elderly mind.

Sometimes putting a head in a lap is a nice way to fall asleep if you are lucky.   I would not recommend standing on a chest though.

The elderly should not stay cooped up in the house all the time.  As it is for Conee, the back porch or even the backyard is a nice reprieve.  Sometimes a random joyride is just what the doctor ordered.

Conee has taught us that old folks in the bedroom should go to sleep when the lights go off.  Frolicking in darkness is for younger folks.   If you are determined to frolic, be like Conee and play when the lights are on.   ou need plenty of light to find what you think you are looking for anyway.

Yep, the animals will teach you - even in retirement.