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Hello Friends!
Amongst all the unsettled feelings and emotions going on in the world today, we are faithfully practicing some “self isolation” here on our farm. Which is not a hardship for me, as staying home is my favorite thing to do! But I’ve been watching our sweet dog, Belle, and thinking what a great thing it must be to just trust in your master enough that you have no worries or fears of the day! Obviously, we humans can’t quite be like that (don’t you wish we could?) but it did get me thinking that there are things I could learn from my dog!
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Be content on the hilltop
Belle is usually quite happy to just hang out right on the top of the hill. She lays at the edge of the hill where she has the best view of everything happening down below. She hangs out with her cows in the evening. She goes around and checks to make sure everything is in it’s place. She is always content and happy to just stay home.
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Hang on to the thing you love
Belle is a bit fanatic about her frisbee. It isn’t that she has to play with it constantly, or have it right next to her all the time. But she never, ever forgets where it is. Even if she takes it all the way to the barn or the corrals. If you tell her to go get her frisbee, she knows exactly where it is.
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Play with gusto
And speaking of the frisbee. It doesn’t matter how tired she is or how long her day has been; if you throw the frisbee she will play!
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Get exercise… even if you’d rather have a nap
Belle will go with me every single time I go for a run. It doesn’t matter if she’s sound asleep on her bed. When she hears me come out the door, she opens her eyes and if I have my running clothes on she is off her bed in a flash and ready to go.
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Love unconditionally
Belle loves us with everything she has. Nothing means more to her than to be with her family. Our grand-daughter Rosetta is just about her favorite person!
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Forgive immediately
Belle never stays mad at us for long! If she’s reprimanded about something, she might pout for about 5 seconds but then she comes wiggling and grinning for a hug!
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Always have a friend nearby
Belle and our horse Promise are pretty much best friends. If Belle isn’t up on the hilltop you can find her with Promise and her cows.
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Help wherever you can
Belle wants to help on the farm all the time. Whether it is sorting cows, working in the flower garden, around the barns… wherever. Sometimes helping means staying out of the way!
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Be loyal
Nobody is more loyal than Belle! She will jump to kiss you at the least bit of encouragement!
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These are just a few little things that I have learned from my dog. Now, I want to hear the best life lesson you have learned from your dog!
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I hope all of you are finding amazing and creative things to do right now in this time of “social distancing”. I was in New Mexico with my parents for a week when Covid-19 hit in the United States and it was really hard to leave them and come home. Even though my home was exactly where I wanted to isolate myself! (I cried hard when I told them goodbye even though I was smiling in the picture above!)
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Stay strong, farmgirl friends!
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Until our gravel roads cross again… so long.
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Dori
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P.S. I almsot forgot!!! We have a WINNER from my blog post last month!!! I’ve made the most fun little spring bunting to hang in your house and the winner is: PAM (I’ve sent you an email Pam!)
Wow! You said it in the first paragraph! We can “trust in our MASTER enough that we have no worries or fears of the day”! Christians can learn from our doggies
I have also learned from our Cocker Spaniel, Piper, that one secret to contentment/happiness is Do Not Compare. He has some skin problems that cause itching & soreness & at age 15 is deaf, but he goes thru life contented because he is not comparing his situation with other dogs & saying , why me? – life is not fair”!
Enjoy your posts! Sharon ( a new Farmgirl Sister)
Your Belle is so sweet. We have an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mixed dog and she is a sweetie, too. I think what I’ve learned from Maggie is how trust is to be honored. She trusts me to have good dog food for her and nutritious snacks. She trusts me to keep her brushed and looking her best even though she’s averse to brushing. Everyday she comes to me for loving, petting, for food, for going out and so on. She’s a happy dog and I try to take good care of her and honor her trust in me. She makes me responsible and mindful of her needs.
Your dog is beautiful. I’ve learned from our shi tzu that sticking your face in mud is not a bad thing.
We have a border collie mix – she LOOKS like a Labrador, but ACTS like her border collie daddy… and darn if she doesn’t KNOW she’s going for a walk when she sees me come down the stairs wearing a certain jacket. I don’t know how she knows, but she does.
You have a gorgeous dog Dori. Glad to see that you are still running and keeping well through these difficult times.
Great post, Dori! I’ve learned from Max, that I can never live without a dog ever again. Having him in our home shows us everyday what love is in it’s purest form. We all need it and we need to be reminded that’s how we should treat our humans too.
Sending big hugs and well wishes from the shorelines!
Deb
Dori, Your posts are always so uplifting, colorful and visually beautiful! They are a monthly lift to our spirit and during these Crazy COVID days, we all need that. Animals
and babies always give me hope. Thank you for such a fun post about your dog.
I have owned many different breeds over the years (beagle, german shepherd mix, labs both brown & black). They are such great companions and friends. My son’s dog Emma moved out with him a couple of years ago. I love the cat but she is so independent so I have been thinking of getting a dog. This quarantine and your post have convinced me. I am really excited about this; so nice to have a fun/positive goal during these difficult times. Pamela
How nice!
God and dogs will always be there when the others have left..
I have two German Shepherds….3 and l0 years old. The younger one was in the 2018 California wildfires, let free by his owner, taken to a kill shelter for awhile and seen by someone who sent funding for him to fly to NY. He was a little over 1 year at the time. He had been through alot. When we took him home, he fell into a deep sleep, which was surprising because we were two strangers. The ride took 2 hours and he slept the entire time. He trusted us from the beginning. At home, he met our other dog…they bonded immediately. After all he had been through, he loved and trusted my husband and I, fell into step with our other dog and has not one hangup from being alone in the street til he was picked up and taken to the kill shelter. He is an amazing dog….he loves us beyond words and we always are amazed at the way he just took to us in a matter of minutes and has brought us so much joy.