In all that I've looked at in the threads I follow I have noticed many wonderful comments about how we love our dogs and it has made me think about how wonderful having dogs (or other animals) in our lives is. As some other threads have sought to do I am interested in knowing something about how we think our dogs have changed us as people and to have those stories gathered together.
To get things started, when Lily was a puppy we went through some really rough patches in our relationship. She was crazy and hyper whenever I got home from work or the store. She would attack me and whatever clothes I was wearing, not meanly just crazy. It made me crazy having torn sweaters, scratched hands, etc. I loved her and hated how we interacted all at once. I had many second thoughts about her even though I have loved her since the moment I picked her over her sister.
Now when I get home I get exuberant joyful greetings, but my clothes are not getting torn at and the frenzied nature of it is all gone. Of course, she is four now, which probably accounts for some of the change, but I have come to realize that the real change is in me. Once I truly understood what people mean when they say you can't lie to a dog and talk about how you transmit what you are feeling to the other end of the leash, I made a concerted effort to change myself into a more patient and calm person. My blood pressure has gone down and I sleep better. Thank you Lily. You are a wonderful girl.
To get things started, when Lily was a puppy we went through some really rough patches in our relationship. She was crazy and hyper whenever I got home from work or the store. She would attack me and whatever clothes I was wearing, not meanly just crazy. It made me crazy having torn sweaters, scratched hands, etc. I loved her and hated how we interacted all at once. I had many second thoughts about her even though I have loved her since the moment I picked her over her sister.
Now when I get home I get exuberant joyful greetings, but my clothes are not getting torn at and the frenzied nature of it is all gone. Of course, she is four now, which probably accounts for some of the change, but I have come to realize that the real change is in me. Once I truly understood what people mean when they say you can't lie to a dog and talk about how you transmit what you are feeling to the other end of the leash, I made a concerted effort to change myself into a more patient and calm person. My blood pressure has gone down and I sleep better. Thank you Lily. You are a wonderful girl.