If any of my dogs could talk, I’d only want them to say one thing. “I’m happy.” Not “I love you” or “You’re the best,” or “I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.” Sure, I’m not saying that unconditional love isn’t great. In fact, it’s the first thing that comes to mind when people think about dogs.
“The best thing about dogs is they love you no matter what.”
“You can be away for just five minutes or five months, and they’ll still greet you like the most wonderful person in the world and, boy, did they miss you a lot.”
“I can feel like that biggest jerk in the world, but when I come home, my dog is there, ready to lick me, kiss me, hug me, you name it. He loves me so much.”
The fact is that dogs are all about unconditional love. Cats not so much. That’s kind of what divides dog and cat people. Cat people translate unconditional love into neediness. That makes sense, too. That’s why they are cat people and not dog people.
And I’m the first one to raise my hand and say “I’m so glad my dogs love me no matter what. I’m not saying that isn’t wonderful. But a dog saying, “I’m happy?” Wow. That means that whatever I am doing is working. I’m raising a happy dog. I’m not the horrible person I not so secretly think I am. “I’m happy” or variations on the theme.
If they were all alive today, this is what I would want:
Bob: “I got your back.”
Bonnie: “I love sleeping in the sun.”
Doe: Giant sigh with eyes closed.
Pearl: “I’m happy.”
Blueberry: “I’m so happy I don’t even know what it means.”
Me: Just let me stay with all of you, be with all of you, hang out with all of you, feel your fur, the warmth, the slight smell of socks on your breath, your cold noses, those tiny claws. Just let me roll and hug and snuggle. Because I’m happy too.
soadogwalksintoabar is my story as written through the lens of my dogs, the lives, the loves, the disappointments, and the pure joys that they experienced (not always by choice) with me.