What I have learned from life with dogs - part 2

If you've always had a weak spot for animals, for their cuteness, character and interesting ways, then you'll get it.

That sometimes there's just this empty spot in your life, that's a shape of a dog.

Or some other animal.

I have now owned a dog, puppy we named Nala, for one week.

For me the process of being brave enough to have a dog, was a long winding road.

My kids love animals, while me and my husband too.

Yet our love for travelling and seeing the world won all the arguments, before.

What I learned in this process, I want to share with you, if it would help someone having a similar struggle.

What a dog in a family did for us, you might ask.

It brought us together.

It taught us to be in the moment.

We saw nature suddenly with the dogs eyes.

We got excited for the bunnies in the bushes, as long as the dog couldn't catch them, haha.

Our family was so deeply touched by our friends dogs, that everytime they left from our place, the house felt kind of empty.

I missed them when I brushed the fur from the floors while they were not around to run to greet me.

Those dogs taught me with their story as well, very deeply.

Reminding how our way of treating the dog is one of the most powerful forces in their life.

Because they depend on people.

They are not like their relatives, wolves.

They have a certain bond with people, and their loyal little heart is affected by our choices.

I learned a lot about the meaning of leadership through my time with the dogs.

Now I'm learning to lead my puppy.

And some things are hard for me to do.

To put a boundary on place.

Yet I think of the grown up dog, how will this boundary now help them later, when they learn to respect and follow it.

I've started the three year period of training, I tell myself.

So I'm not living in an illusion that with some magic trick my dog will learn every important thing.

I look my puppy in the eyes, and when it sees me, I show or tell what I need her to do.

I show with very simple, clear and practical ways.

I use a whistle to tell the puppy when to run to me.

I give her lots of praise when she does what is expected from her.

When she doesn't do it I ignore the behavior.

She is a full on biter at the moment with her little spiky puppy teeth.

And the hardest part is to put a boundary on her biting, but I do it thinking of the benefits this will bring her later.

Dogs have taught me beautiful glimpses of what loyalty means, how it changes your heart, when you let it.

When you put someone else's needs before you, how that actually fills something in you.

When it takes, it gives back ten fold.

There's that belonging, lots of laughter and peace.

There are challenges where I grow.

Now our family is planning our future travels with a car.

Or a ferry.

As long as we can take Nala with us, once she is old enough.

Unless someone sweet wants to take her for a dog-sleep-over.

Or just a few of us go and rest stay at home with her.

When you have a dog in your life, even if it's a friend's dog who visits you every now and then.

Be warned.

It might happen to you what happened to us.

If someone had told me two years ago, I will have a puppy in the beginning of this year, I would have laughed long and hard.

Now I have a hard time even driving my car, when I just want to look at all the dogs walking with their owners.

Those two dogs of my friend in Uruguay stole my heart all in all.

And this is the result.

They made me a diehard dog person.

I never imagined, when on my way to Uruguay, that after that time I'd end up with a Labrador retriever girl.

Life with dogs is an adventure, that I can say.

And mine has only just begun.

Now is your turn.

If you have a dog, what it's like?

Or if you want one, what kind of dog is capturing your heart at the moment?

Or do you have some other kind of pet?

Let me know in the comments!