I took an afternoon break to eat lunch. Afterwards, I sat on the couch with my dog buddy, Wilson.
Wilson is a minimalist, er, miniature dachshund. I didn’t meet him until he was about one or two years old. He had lived his earlier life being cooped up in a carry-all a lot of the time. And he has obviously had someone playing too roughly with his snout. Try to grab at it to get him to play, and he just lays down. He doesn’t like it at all.
I can’t leave him at home unless I want to come back to a new door chewed through a wall. Yep, he’s pretty desperate to get out of the house if left alone. He has worn his nails down to the quick trying to “escape.” We sometimes tie his chain to a tree when we need him secured. If we use the tractor, we don’t want him loose. While tied up, he will not sit down. In a matter of three hours or so, he will have a semi-circle rutted out in the grass.
Yes, Wilson does have his problems. I found out something new about him today, though. In all honesty, since he doesn’t like you to go toward his snout to start him playing, I haven’t tried to play with him that much. When I did try, I never figured out anything that would get him excited. Well, he does like to chase the ball outside. He’ll go after it with gusto. But, I sat there this rainy day and started to think about how I sure wish he would loosen up.
I wanted him to play with me while we sat on the couch. I knew he would enjoy playing if only I could get him interested. Then, I thought, “Ah, ha! What dog can resist a sock?” I didn’t want to teach him to play with socks, but I wanted him to feel good and have something to shoot for at that moment.
I pulled my pink sock off of my right foot. I flipped one end toward him. You should have heard his teeth clacking together! One swing by his face and it was teeth on teeth. Clack. And not just that one time, but every time he tried to get the sock, which was then flying in circles over his head. Clack. Clack. And sometimes “clack clack” as he would try again real quick while it was still within reach.
He had me laughing so hard that I couldn’t help but feel lighter in spirit. It was great fun, and I loved seeing the excitement and life in Wilson’s eyes. He had fun today!
All of this leads me to the reason for this post. Animals are such a blessing to us. And no matter how much I dislike dog hair in my house, I would rather have it there than to have no animals at all to love. So, my point is that we should not strive for the sterile perfection of a minimalist home but for the perfection of a minimalist home giving us what we want — love, family, security, a soft place to fall, and yes, the priceless blessing of sharing it with a beautiful creature that is not like us but that knows what love is.
Dachshund card by cutecanines
View other Dachshund Cards
MiMi
15 responses so far ↓
Holley // Jan 21st 2010 at 7:58 pm
Oh MiMi, you said it! I lived 2 years without an animal to love me due to grief from loss of another. But, when the time was right, she was planted right in front of me. Chris and I always say she was given to us and us to her when we both needed it the most. You remember Miss Shadow, the Queen of the house :)
.-= Holley´s last blog ..Correen’s Melee With The Large Cock =-.
Joan // Jan 21st 2010 at 8:03 pm
I totally agree, Mimi! Who wants a beautiful home if no one enjoys it? That is what concerns me about all these new decorating shows on television. The first thing they do is remove all the personal things! I want people to come in my house, grab a cup of coffee, pet my dogs, settle in and enjoy — period! And they can step over the toys the grands and I left in the floor — or not. Their choice. We live here. As do our two dogs! Thank Goodness!
.-= Joan Adams´s last blog ..Honey, I am losing my sight. =-.
MiMi // Jan 21st 2010 at 8:57 pm
To never experience love for an animal and the animal’s love for you is so, well, I don’t want to say “worth” losing them when that time comes, and I sure do know that the time will come, but I just can’t miss the in between.
Kim Horton // Jan 21st 2010 at 9:14 pm
MiMi what a wonderful story. I love miniatuer dachshunds.They have such personalties. I have loved 3 of them. Gunther was 17 years old when he finally left us. And Rusty was 13 years old when he left. Bates was very young when he left. I would love to have another, but most really aren’t crazy about kids. I am thinking about getting Jed a puppy. Like Holley, I think one will come along when the time is right.
Tweets that mention Living With Dogs; Better Than Not | The Minimalist Lifestyle -- Topsy.com // Jan 21st 2010 at 9:16 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Holley, Holley. Holley said: Dogs At Home from: @GrowWear http://minimalistlifestyle.crabbysbeach.com/blogs/dogs-at-home/ [...]
Alex // Jan 21st 2010 at 9:24 pm
Absolutely beautiful I have two dogs of vastly different breeds and attitudes, but they get along like siblings. And they show me so much love it is incredible. I’ll take any hassle they give over never to have known them, any day.
.-= Alex´s last blog ..Automated Systems =-.
MiMi // Jan 21st 2010 at 10:26 pm
Ahh, Kim, once a dachshund, always a dachshund. We’ve had so many! Over the past 25 years or so, Duke and Duchess have lived on in all of our other doxxies. Wilson is our first one not of their blood.
MiMi // Jan 21st 2010 at 10:28 pm
Once they are gone, the memories and the love — whatever can be taken from this life experience — I’ll keep close in my heart. :)
Kim Horton // Jan 21st 2010 at 10:52 pm
How wonderful, to have had a part of them all that time. I am sure Wilson will come to know love in your house, and in return he will learn to love in return.
Kim // Jan 22nd 2010 at 10:51 am
I love my dog too! What a great story about connection and being present.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Senior Squids Love to Read =-.
MiMi // Feb 1st 2010 at 3:48 pm
Aww. Kim, what would we do without those moments? …One time, we had six baby dachshunds just starting to be aware of their surroundings. It was a nice spring day, and I just had to make a memory of them before they went to their permanent homes. We let them loose in the back yard. I sat cross legged on the grass and they galloped and loped and crawled and jumped on me and around me. I got on my stomach so I could be at ground level with them. I can still see the happy little faces coming toward me, mouths open, white teeth shining, but eyes even brighter. …That memory is pure love. It was a beautiful a piece of life that I’ll always cherish.
Nicki (WordCustard) // Feb 1st 2010 at 4:26 pm
“Animals are such a blessing to us.” It seems we are all on the same wavelength today! I just wrote my post about the importance of pets before seeing this one (and right after seeing the one from Carol Thomas). Wilson sounds adorable.
MiMi // Feb 4th 2010 at 7:13 pm
Wilson is such a great little guy. Thank you for noticing. That image, BTW, looks a lot like him. :)
Carolan // Feb 4th 2010 at 7:24 pm
Dog lovers are the best of the breed! :-) Pun intended. My old girl Sheba is by far the best and most loyal friend ever. She’s really an angel, just disguised as a golden retriever.
MiMi // Feb 4th 2010 at 7:42 pm
Carolan, I do believe it. Our animals are our angels.
You must log in to post a comment.