Hi, Jackson here.
I’ve heard humans say they should be more like dogs. Live in the here and now. Not a care in the world. Just eat and sleep and…well, you know.
It’s not a bad idea really, living in the here and now. It’s a good thing to celebrate being awake in the morning by taking a walk outside. The fresh air, fresh smells. It’s a brand new day. The sun really helps. Watching it come up, listening to the rest of the world start to wake up. Did you know Cardinals seem to be the first bird to sing in the morning?
Anyway, a dog’s world is a bit more complex than eat and sleep and…well, you know. It’s all about using our senses to their fullest. Sniffing the aromas wafting in the air or sniffing the ground to see who came into the yard overnight; looking, watching, waiting for movement in the woods; listening to the shuffle of leaves, the wind or birds singing.
I can sit outside for hours. And when I say ‘sit’, I mean just being present. I watch and listen and smell. I can cock my ears in two different directions to pinpoint a sound – try that sometime! Here is what an hour of sitting outside might bring.
I first scan the area. Is there anything out here that might try to attack me? Or that I should attack? I look into the woods slowly and carefully. Any movement? Any turkeys in the trees (who knew a huge awkward bird like that could sit in a tree)?
I hear something in the leaves…squirrels. They make quite the ruckus for such small things. You would think Bigfoot was coming. There are two of them chasing each other. Up and down the trees. Too far away for me to worry about them, but I will keep an eye on them if they get close to my yard.
A smell…what is that. Hmm. Must be the neighbor dog is out. <<Sniff sniff>>Yep, I think its Dublin. He’s a big black lab that is just a teddy bear kinda guy. Lives next door over the hill. Wait. <<sniff sniff >>
Luke, his owner, is with him, too. He’s a nice guy. Architect, I hear. I don’t understand what that is, but sure sounds like something special.
Leaves moving again. Darn squir…nope…its deer. They come through here a lot. It’s the same ones; we’ve gotten to know each other. They tolerate me. I think they think I can’t catch them. I can, but don’t because…well…I don’t need to show off. I will just let them think they’re superior (and they are not if you are wondering).
<<sniff sniff>> Sonny is out. He is a new neighbor. A puppy, but a big one. A poodle? I don’t know. Is that like an architect? I don’t understand all these labels that humans use.
Uh oh. What’s up? My bestie Quinn has her back fur up. I better put mine up too. Woof. Gotta sound tough, too. Woof. I wonder what we are barking at. Oh I see now. Someone is at the neighbor’s garage. We will keep an eye on them.
But wait. Okay, here we go. Those squirrels are having too much fun and not noticing they are coming close to the yard. I’ll get up really slowly so they don’t notice me. I’m ready. They are getting closer…
Until next time; gotta run…
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