That’s Not a Dog – It’s A Rat!

I used to pride myself in my love for bigger dogs. A dog that is – well, a dog. Pit Bulls have always had my heart along with Mastiffs, Dobermans, Rottweilers, etc. I will use this as a place to express that I admit to loving little dogs too.

I am not quite sure why we resist being attracted to a little dog. It does come across as resistance as we declare proudly (or at a minimum it appears in the conversation bubble above our heads) as someone walks by with their tiny yorkie – “That’s not a dog, it’s a rat!” (No, it’s just a little dog. Perhaps “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” applies here.)

I think I personally resisted this new-found affection because of the people I associated with having the pocket pups. Someone who didn’t truly want a dog but a show piece or an accessory.

I was labeling them as easily as I was labeled for having Pit Bulls.

When tiny dogs are treated as dogs, they are wonderful. They have the same personality and expression as the large breeds. (As a side note: experimental breeding of dogs – tiny or giant – needs to stop as the shelters fill with unwanted pups. Maybe that can be another thought for 2009.) Whether you are attracted to large or small dogs, they are all creatures capable and worthy of receiving our attention and care.

The New Year provides an opportunity to symbolically, if nothing else, make some shifts in our thinking. I think a life with less judgment would be a great place to start. (This doesn’t only apply to the four-legged creatures) Considering that all of the Beings we are blessed to have cross our paths, don’t judge us nearly as quickly as we do them.

Happy 2009 and a moment or two in the “no judgement zone” to all of you!