There are many good things in life to appreciate. And there is a certain group of people primed to experience an abundance of good things. I’m talking about dog lovers. You see, to invite a dog into your family is to invite all the good things that follow. I have narrowed down my endless list to these top seven good things that I will share with you now.
Good thing No. 1: Puppies. I have a longstanding belief that puppy breath should be bottled and labeled “Instant Happiness” or “Instant Mood Booster.” Although possibly brilliant, it might not translate because the breath part (that wondrous stuff) can only be experienced if you’re close enough to get a face full of it. Having a warm, wiggly little being in your arms, nibbling at your chin is delightfully inseparable from the puppy breath part.
Good thing No. 2: Still on puppies. Puppies sniff in such a sweet, tickly way. It is executed by positioning the nose squarely in the human ear and follows an irregular pattern of part sniffing in, part snuffling out. It starts tentatively and then gets more intense. We call it Puppy Sniffs. I’ve mimicked it many times for my children and grands and it always incites a squirming, giggling, goosebump-inducing episode that ends with “do it again.”
Good thing No. 3: Enthusiastic greetings. I ask, what is better than returning home after slogging through a busy day? The answer: having man’s best friend there to greet you. Although it differs in technique, the enthusiastic dog greeting never fails to lift the spirits.
Some dogs do a happy dance on hind legs, shifting from one hind paw to the other in a kind of cha-cha. Others turn in repeat circles. Some dogs jump straight into the air. We had a dog once that jumped so high, it would knock its head on the lattice shade porch above the door. Some dogs yip and bark or launch into a complete recounting of their day, talking and talking in dog-ese. Regardless of the individual dog’s unique style, the point hits its mark: they are ridiculously happy to see you, and it is a cold heart that would not be moved by such a display.
Good thing No. 4: Bed warmers. It’s summer now, but think back to how welcoming a warm bed is in the middle of winter. Here’s the ideal situation: First, your pup warms its fur by laying by the fire, and then, when it’s time for bed, they bring all that warmth with them and curl up at your feet. I can personally attest that sliding your feet under a wood-stove-warmed dog in mid-January is a sublime ‘ah’ moment.
“Although it differs in technique, the enthusiastic dog greeting never fails to lift the spirits.”
Good thing No. 5: Prewash cycle. Have a crusted-on mess on your favorite pan? Give it over to the canine cleaner. Simply place the cool and soiled pan on the dog mat and your problem is solved. The dog on duty will jump right in with gusto. In fact, I have yet to meet a pup that doesn’t take this domestic chore on with a happy heart. So content in their work, they employ a remarkable attention to detail. It’s the same with everyday dishes and silverware, knives excluded. By the time the pup has done the job, it’s hard to tell the clean dishes from the dirty ones. All that remains is sanitizing in the dishwasher. Our dishes always come out sparkling, and we credit our dog’s expert prewash. Caution: Avoid this practice with wooden utensils and plastics. They tend to get chewed.
Good thing No. 6: Chippy control. With warmer weather, the chipmunk population in our area can be a bit much. Our dog takes chipmunk population control very seriously—like it’s her full-time job. Alert and ready to pounce, she spends hours tracking their shifty movements. Down the stairs, sniffing at the edges of the lower deck, scrambling around under the upper deck, her movements are swift and eager. My flowers and I thank her, even though those rascals still occasionally make a salad out of one or two. No wonder she’s exhausted at night.
Good thing No. 7: Guarding the domicile. I sincerely doubt an intruder could enter undetected in a house with a dog on duty. With their supersonic hearing, excellent night vision, and inability to modulate the volume of their bark, dogs make excellent alarms. If something is not right at 1 am, it would be very hard to sleep through your dog’s efforts to alert you to the problem. There are challenges though: one is to teach them to ignore the ice machine function on the refrigerator (which sounds surprisingly like a break in), and there is a big risk that a charging dog will put themselves in harm’s way in their enthusiasm to protect its people.
The simple fact is, there are many good things about having a canine family member, too many to count really. I can only hope these seven remind you of the many reasons we have all fallen for the love of dog.
