I remember going with my sons sled-riding on a hill in Cambridge. G had a little black Scottish Terrier named Scottie. Scottie loved G and he would race down the hill right behind G on the sled, and then he would run back up the hill ahead of G and then do it all over again. It was more fun watching Scottie than it was sledding. The hillside was a fairly long slope with a two foot wide ditch at the bottom. If you were able to maneuver the sled just right, you could jump the ditch, landing on the other side. If you didn’t do it correctly, you ended up in the ditch, slamming into the side of the far bank. Scottie would actually try to jump the ditch as the sled flew across. It was hilariously entertaining! N, G, and I would take turns trying to get to the other side of the ditch without hitting the bank. Scottie was right there with each of us.
It was very enjoyable spending time with the boys, acting like a kid, taking risks, challenging ourselves, bonding as father and sons, and having Scottie to keep us laughing during it all. G would even take Scottie with him on his motorcycle. Scottie would sit in front of G, balancing himself while looking ahead through the handlebars with a smile on his face grinning from ear to ear. Scottie and G were ‘thick’ and experienced many things together.
The greatest fear that dogs show is when they look at you like you are going to go out the door without them. Marjorie Garber says, “A study conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo Medical School suggested that in times of stress a dog is likely to be more help in calming you down than a spouse or partner. Most dog owners can guess the reason why: dogs never judge us and never compete with us.”
No Judgment. No Competition. Wouldn’t it be nice if humans could be as smart as dogs?