5 Things I Learned about Life from my Rescue Dog
Yep. We got ourselves a quaran-dog. Buster (aka Busta Rhymes/Busty Bust/Dust Buster/Bunny/Sweet Boy) joined us two months ago. And besides being an awesome furry friend during my long and lonely WFH days, he’s taught me so much about myself.
That’s not to say it hasn’t been work. Buster is a rescue mutt from Texas and the little we do know about his year of life before we met him is…not great. So he definitely has some quirks that we are working on together; like how to walk on a leash, play with toys, and meet other dogs. And that’s the key – we’re ALL learning, and adapting, together. Because as we’re seeing change in him, change is happening in us too. He’s teaching us how to slow down, calm down and heal – invaluable lessons during a challenging year.
Here’s five lessons Buster is helping me to take into 2021, because I think we all need a little Buster energy in our lives:
It’s all about Vibes
Buster is essentially a mood ring. You feel it and he’ll toss it right back at you. Which means whenever we tell Buster to “calm down”, we need to be telling ourselves that too. Dogs don’t understand that you’re frustrated with work or angry at that anti-masker in the store. You gotta let that stuff go and “feel” in the present. And usually when I leave my crap at the door, (so to speak…I barely leave the house/park these days) Buster gives me good vibes right back and my mood transforms anyway.
The Beauty in not Rushing
My life pre-pandemic was scheduled to the 10-minute mark. I would rush to the TTC, rush to work, rush to the gym, rush through dinner and rush to get bed - only to do it all over again. If I had an extra few minutes, I was folding laundry or answering emails. And we don’t even have kids! But Buster is NOT about that hustle and bustle. If we’re rushing around the house, he gets riled up and is likely to steal a sock or a wallet just to slow us down. And because he’s discovering new things every day, he also needs time to process them. Like when we first got him, he didn’t like to be outside alone, so we spent a few early mornings on the back patio, waiting for Buster to pee. And at first, I was frustrated I was losing valuable morning time, which of course resulted in Buster taking longer to pee. Instead, I needed to create an environment I would enjoy too – so I started taking my coffee onto the back patio, sitting in a patch of sun and watching the neighbourhood wake up. It became one of my favourite good weather rituals. And then in December, when we were getting Buster used to his crate, I read an article that said classical music helps dogs relax. I must have listened Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker forty times last month, and damn, does that album slap! I have a whole new appreciation for classical music now. Buster taught us to move at his pace, and it turns out taking a beat showed me all the great things happening around me that I was missing.
It’s Okay to Take up Space
I’m the type of person that moves through life trying to accommodate for the people around me, which usually serves me well, except with strangers. For some reason, I tend to over accommodate for strangers (anyone else out there with me on this?). Throw in a dash of pandemic fear and these days, I spend most of my time in the outside world worrying if I am giving people enough space in line, if my podcast is too loud, and if I should be wearing a mask on busy sidewalks.
But Buster has given me a reason to ask for more space; a reason I can’t just move into the road to give strangers free range of the sidewalk. Now Buster and I play the sidewalk chicken game, (who’s going to accommodate the other person’s space first) and we usually win. Instead of constantly worrying about other people, I focus on myself and my pup in our own little world. And honestly, it’s empowering.
The Art of Creative Problem Solving
Turns out saying “drop it” the exact same way fifteen times doesn’t usually produce my Converse out of Buster’s immensely strong jaw. My immediate response used to be pulling on the shoe, but that of course only makes him tug harder. Which means a bit of problem solving and improv have come back into my daily life. Because doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insane. I now spend a part of every day coming up with unique ways to teach Buster how to do the things we want and how to avoid the behaviours we don’t want. It keeps that part of my brain sharp and when it works, I get to mentally high five myself. It’s time to say “yes and” try something you haven’t before.
We’re Never Broken
Putting it lightly, Buster had been through hell before coming to us. Given up by a family he probably loved very much, spending weeks at a shelter that made him so anxious he suffered severe weight and hair loss, and then scheduled to be put down 24 hours before we adopted him. When he first came into our house, it was clear he was terrified, but even after all he had been through, he still just wanted pets and love. And after a few days, he began to “dog” again.
He hasn’t forgotten his experiences – he is still terrified of big trucks and gets overwhelmed during play – but he is moving on from them. Which means we can all heal from anything life throws at us, because a good day/bone (pun intended if that floats your boat) is somewhere just around the corner.
So thank you to my smelly mutt for showing me that you can actually teach a woman in her thirties new tricks. I can’t wait to see all the ways we’re going to grow together in 2021.