Lessons from Winnie

Many people aren’t aware that I have TWO dogs. Miss Daisy is such an attention hog, and a true alpha-dog, that sweet little Winnie doesn’t always get a lot of “press.” Add to that, the fact that she creates such a spectacle when I try to walk her, that I’ve mostly given up on anything more than a half-block excursion. Consequently, appearances in the neighborhood are rare.

So I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to showcase my sweet girl for a change. As much as I love her, she has a few bad habits that developed during the nearly six years she spent with her first family that included three children under the age of five. Oh my…

The most frustrating habit – and the loudest – is her ofttimes-incessant barking. Any little noise, any larger vehicle going by the house, any leaf that might be blowing past the front door all cause immediate and protective barking. Don’t even get me started on the explosions that occur anytime the doorbell rings…

For some crazy reason, I’m currently working on BOTH issues – teaching her how to walk at least that half block AND attempting to tone down the frequency and noise level of her barking. Probably not the wisest dog training decision I’ve made. But here we are.

The walk training is pretty straight-forward. I keep her close by my side and make her stop and sit often so I can reward her with the treat. There’s still quite a bit of reprimanding, and I say, “stop pulling” a zillion times. It’s tedious and, full disclosure, I’ve been working on this for almost two years. At least we’ve made it out of the garage.

The “door explosion” issue is a tad more intense. And it involves BOTH dogs, because Daisy has gotten noticeably worse at the door due to Winnie’s influence. Sigh…

I attempt to make them sit in the family room while I ring the doorbell. The scene plays out something like this:

Ring the bell. Dog explosions. Dogs run to the door. Yell at dogs. Chase them back into the family room. More yelling. Repeat ad nauseum.

I admit it’s a terrible formula! But even using high-value treats initially resulted in absolutely zero improvement. So enough of the good cop. Bad cop took over; hence the yelling routine. In my defense, this has finally gotten their attention. NOW I can reward the improving behavior with yummy treats, and far less yelling.

When I work on these issues back to back, it highlights how much yelling is actually involved! I’m not proud of this fact, but sometimes mama is pushed this far. Despite the level and frequency of reprimanding, Winnie is ALWAYS sweet and loving, and somehow still adores me.

I was marveling at that a few days ago and thought to myself, “Why can’t I, why can’t we all be more like Winnie?” Not a single trace of a grudge or a hint of indignation or anything but unconditional love.

I couldn’t help but think about the environment we find ourselves in today. The pandemic alone has likely caused many of us to feel frustrated, bored, lonely, overwhelmed, irritable, hopeless, sad, depressed, fearful, or any combination of all those emotions and more.

It’s certainly not the best formula for exhibiting unconditional love to those around us, is it? One thing unconditional love requires of us is to take the focus off OURSELVES and place it squarely and compassionately on the other person. I know that doesn’t often come naturally for me, and I suspect you may struggle with that as well.

But when I see this sweet little doggie face gazing up at me in love, what do you suppose my reaction is to it? I melt. Yep, I’m such a sucker for my dog-kids that I can’t help but shower them with love and kisses – and maybe a few more treats.

I don’t believe we humans are quite as selfless with each other, but isn’t it a wonderful goal to reach for? There are opportunities for growth on both sides of this interaction. Ask God to give you HIS unconditional love that you can pour out over another. Knowing he can equip you in this manner, and then reaching out in love and obedience can be its own reward.

And if the other party in this interaction responds like I did to Winnie’s unconditional love, you might find yourself witnessing a bit of melting, too. Those are all huge wins. And being the recipient of true unconditional love is a beautiful thing. We all long for that!

While Winnie is a great role model in this whole love thing, no one did it better than Jesus when he walked this earth so many years ago. Ultimately, he is the example we follow. Unconditional love that led straight to the cross at Calvary.  

I think I’m inspired to do a little less yelling during the next training session. Winnie, you win!

“A soft answer turns away wrath…”

Proverbs 15:1a