With Dogs, We Play
Dogs Play at the Canine Connection's Day Care
My life is full of dogs — really, really full. I live with my own energetic pack of five dogs and interact with dozens more each week through dog classes and day care at the Canine Connection. When I don’t have a dog in front of me (or beside me or draped around me) I have dogs on the brain. I am responding to emails about dogs, reading about dogs, speaking about dogs, and thinking about dogs. Indeed, my life is so full of dogs that on those extremely rare occasions when I go a day or two without dog contact I feel disconnected, sort of like I’m in a foreign country without my familiar landmarks–the thump of tail wags here, a splash of dog fur and slobber there.
So much has been written and said about our love affair with dogs. Perhaps the most often cited reason for our love of dogs is that these innocent creatures who are so forgiving of our imperfections provide us with unconditional love. They, in turn, allow–no, require us to care for them and this nurturing seems to make us more human.
But I believe there is another reason we love and need our dogs so. They help us play. And in play we are our most natural, creative, and spontaneous selves. Play is truly a universal activity that all species need, enjoy, and understand and play comes so naturally to dogs. Just watch the dance of play bows, wiggles, and happy faces that is part of their language of play. But play comes less naturally to humans as we leave our childhood behind and engage in the serious business of adulthood. True play becomes elusive in our busy, over-stressed lives.
Dogs open the doors to spontaneity, laughter, and fun. We experience that when we watch our dogs play, vicariously entering their world of total engagement with a toy, playmate or environment. So many people tell me how much they love to watch their dogs play! It’s as if we are observing pure, concentrated joy. And when we play with our dogs, it’s as if we hit the pause button on the everyday stresses of life. We and our dogs are partners in that which is intrinsically joyful and rewarding to all species.
An activity I love is to dance with my dog. No, we don’t tango or salsa, we just move to the music with circles and spins. My dogs love music with a happy beat and so do I. For you, it might be a Frisbee or ball that brings on the play. Whatever your style, play with your dog. For in play, we become more human, our dogs become more canine, and together we become more connected.
To return to Sarah Richardson’s Canine Connection web site, go to:
www.thecanineconnection.com
Wow, so true!
Keep me posted when you blog. Each story has touched a nerve that I have felt. I have come late to knowing the power of the friendship that exists between a person and their dog (or dogs), but can not imagine a world without a dog. Thanks for sharing these with me and I look forward to your future blogs.
Do you remember Bean? Well, he’s quite the ball player.
I took him to visit my dad (he’d had a stroke) and a couple of very elderly ladies sat near us. Bean was playing the nose game with his ball (he noses the ball to you and hopes you will kick or throw it back). He did this to the two ladies, and you could not believe the huge smiles directed at him. They loved playing with him and were amazed at how accurate his aim was. He’s not a cuddly dog with strangers, but the way he interacted with the residents at my father’s care facility was really special…play is good at all ages!
Some say that god shows himself through animals, dogs in particular. i can see why they think that- dogs are so perfect and forgiving. i cant think of one fault that they have. humans learn an awful lot from animals. in a way they are our role models, maybe its very unclear to most poeple, but i think we all deep down aspire to be like them in everyway.