She towers over him. Defensively, casually pushing him away, her legs are positioned between them just in case the playing shifts from fun to not so fun. He always starts it, but can never finish it, so the persnickety Shih Tzu snaps a little more defiantly and aggressively, signaling he’s had enough, even if the Golden Doodle has not. She displays great patience.
Rescues live in a perpetual state of getting to know others. They are explorers of personalities, schooled by social interactions. To them and to those they encounter, each is a blank slate. Backstories are unknown. Pasts are never shared. History not told. They have had love and loss. They’re a cocktail of gentleness and aggression, choosing their greeting based on what is offered to them. Or so I’ve observed from the six canine souls that have blessed our home over the last twenty-plus years.
When pups find themselves in a cold, wire crate, in a cold, fluorescent-lit room, orphaned for whatever reason, they are helpless to whatever happens, yet, innately, they still seek love first. Long to trust and be trusted. Perhaps a tad defensive, keeping folks at a paw’s distance, but typically, they do not strike until somehow the energy shifts. Their default disposition is that of lover and empath. They absorb the room’s emotions. They long to engage. Have a connection. Sometimes overzealous or overstimulated, but most interactions come from a place of excitement. Joy. Hope. A desire to communicate.
As an intuitive breed, puppies can explore prickly areas. They learn from one another through engagement, play, and dialogue, dressed as barks. When things get heated, they retreat. This creates space before escalation. Then it’s over. Forgotten, remembered only as friendly banter.
Dogs are cautious, yet hopeful. Timid, yet fearless. Inquisitive and pondering. Explorers wanting to engage with others. An optimistic version paralleling humanity’s cynical version of social interactions.
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Reba & Bruno - daily bantering.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.
Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
Playful and loving they are 😘
Such a gorgeous description of dogs and their nature 💕