Silly, Sassy, Strong Girls

Monday was National Puppy Day and thus, this week has me thinking about the things that my dog, Yadi, has taught me. Yadi has been a project. When I rescued him from the People for Paws no-kill shelter in Shenandoah, Iowa (I love this shelter. If you are in the area looking for a pup, please check out their website: http://awos.petfinder.com/shelters/IA121.html or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PeopleForPaws?fref=ts&ref=br_tf), he was afraid of his own shadow. The owner of the shelter didn’t know where he had come from or if he had ever lived in a house. I had found him online and from the moment I saw his picture and talked to Linda at People for Paws, I knew he was mine.

The first time I went to visit, I went alone. Yadi wasn’t interested in me, could hardly look at me or tolerate me petting him. The second time I went, my boyfriend, John, went with me. Yadi was indifferent to John, but John noticed that every time I spoke, Yadi listened to my voice. The third time we went to visit, Yadi came home with us. He was afraid of the basement. H didn’t know how to play with toys or even wrestle. He cried and would gnaw on his kennel so much that he chipped one of his teeth and thus had to have it removed. Linda expected me to call and say he’d eaten everything in the house. Thus far, it’s only been 2 pillows, 2 blankets, 2 shoes, a pair of sunglasses, 1 bike helmet, 2 wii remotes, and some paint brushes—not too awful for a dog who has never had a home and has major separation anxiety.

Even with his issues, from that first week, Yadi has made me number one. When we go places, he positions himself between me and anything else that could be a danger. When we are at the dog park, he plays and plays, but always knows where I am. He is content to run for miles, lay on the couch, or take a car ride. Anything, as long as we are together. Last weekend he was tired at the end of a run so he and John decided to walk while I ran on. I went off in the neighborhood, not really following any of our normal routes. After 10 minutes I heard something loud and wild behind me. John said Yadi had taken off crying, tearing through the neighborhood until they found me.

I believe my biggest flaw is impatience. I hate waiting. I hate feeling like I am wasting time. When I get up in the morning, I take a big breath and ask for more patience. Yadi waits for me, alone, for 8 hours a day some days. And he’s never mad when I get home. He’s never impatient. If I am writing, he lies at my feet and waits until we go for a walk or run. He never complains or rolls his eyes or gets agitated. I have so much to learn.

I have no doubt that Yadi loves me every second of every day no matter what I do. He has become annoyed with me, but not for very long. The only thing he wants in this world is for me to love him and to make me happy. That unconditional love is something that’s sometimes hard to understand as humans. We learn about it, but so often we love people for the things they do rather than for simply loving them for being human. I want to love like Yadi. Unconditionally.

My grandpa sees pictures of Yadi and me going for runs or to the dog park or to the bar on Facebook and thinks Yadi is the most spoiled dog he has seen. At first I was offended—he’s not prissy and he doesn’t have dumb clothes or anything silly! Now though, I’m coming to realize, that’s a dang good compliment. For the one who loves me most in this world, who would wait all day or run miles for me, for the one who’s greatest pleasure is being my best bud, then yes, I hope he is the most spoiled dog in the world. To my dog who teaches me how to love and be loved unconditionally and how to have more patience, and to all of the dogs in this world who do the same and more, Happy National Puppy Day! Dogs: Making the World a Better Place, One Human at a Time.