Lesson #9: Show Affection For Others

Oscar and I just came back from a walk around the neighborhood that included a visit to the library. I had to go inside to sign out some books which meant the Professor had to wait outside for a few minutes. I tied him to a tree, disappeared for about 1 minute, and came right back outside. Even though we were only separated for a short time Oscar was virtually jumping out of his skin with excitement to see me again. It was as if the best possible thing that could ever happen to him just occurred and he was expressing his joy accordingly. Good thing it was a sturdy tree.

In a more general sense... Oscar's tail was docked when he was a pup so all he has left to wag back there is a little black nub. But he sure loves to wag that nub! It's a transparent expression of happiness that leaves no room for interpretation: if the Professor is looking at you and wagging his tail then he doubtless is happy to see you.

Professor McLovin makes it easy for his companions to understand how he's feeling. By expressing his love and affection so openly he invites you to reciprocate his gestures so that you, in turn, also wear your emotions on your sleeve. And, as cheesy as it sounds, everyone is better off by seeing unrivaled happiness reflected in the faces--and tails--of those around us. Perhaps love does make the world go around after all.

Lesson #8: Snow Just Might Be the Best Thing Ever

It's soft and fluffy and fun to roll around in. It's cool and feels nice against your skin. It's bright and white and looks refreshingly clean. It's light and comfortable to lie around in. It envelops you without smothering you completely. It lets you run around in countless directions, providing the perfect amount of resistance. It forms snowballs that can then be chased without end. And if you get too hot from running around you can take a drink from anywhere around you.

After taking our dog snowshoeing this past weekend I was reminded just how much fun snow appears to be through the eyes of a dog. I honestly think that snowshoeing is his favourite activity, ranking slightly ahead of hiking and chasing tennis balls. On snowshoe outings, Oscar routinely covers about 5 times amount of distance compared to his human walking companions. That's because when we're out in the snow together his motor won't stop running. Even in the city, snow fuels his engines unlike anything else. Plus I don't think he would ever get tired of chasing snowballs provided someone was willing to throw them for him.

More pictures from our 2009 snowshoeing adventures here.

Lesson #7: Savor Your Meals

Virtually every other dog I've known will eat whatever is put in front of him as quickly as possible. Not only will most dogs attack their meals immediately after they are presented but they also will wolf down their food at an extraordinarily fast pace. Instinct seems to dictate that you should engulf your meals before anyone else comes along who might also wish to take a bite.

The Professor, however, has a different attitude towards mealtime. We had trained him to wait until we said "OK" before he was allowed to tuck in but it turns out this was redundant. Oscar routinely waits until he's good and ready before he starts eating. And when he does decide to begin it's a very mellow, controlled affair. He takes his time, pausing between mouthfuls to assess his surroundings and often will interrupt the meal to go and investigate something else. He doesn't quite chew his kibble but he is very deliberate about how often he returns to the trough. He usually finishes his bowl but sometimes he will leave a little left over from breakfast so that dinner is a bit bigger than normal. One delay tactic worth noting is his tendency to spill a select number of morsels all over the floor with the first few bites so that it takes additional time to at the end of the meal once the rest of the food has been eaten. The overriding lesson here is to take your time while eating and appreciate the hard work that went into producing this meal, or at the very least provide yet another source of amusement for the person who scoops two servings into your bowl every day.

Lesson #6: Physical Contact Feels Nice

This might be the first lesson that Professor McLovin ever taught us. We had just met him at the kennel for the first time and we didn't know what to expect. He sat himself down next to us and gave us one of his front paws to hold. If we'd move he would come straight back over and proffer his paw until we held it. For the next few weeks he'd constantly perform this maneuver. Although he may have disguised some of his less pleasing behaviours during that first interview, he wanted to make sure we were always in touch with him.

Oscar preaches this lesson almost everyday. In his ideal world he would almost always prefer physical contact over just being near people. My parents learned this for themselves this weekend. Apparently even if you're covered in fur it's nice to snuggle up next to another warm being for a nap.

Lesson #5: Non-Verbal Communication Can Be Effective

"Use your words!" is an admonishing phrase we often hear delivered to a toddler by her frustrated parent. But you don't need a rich vocabulary to be an effective communicator. Sometimes you don't even need to open your mouth: An eager look in the right direction is often enough to impart what you're feeling. Or a subtle wag of your tail, back and forth, back and forth. Or you can run and stand by the closet door where certain equipment is stored hoping to spur someone else into action. When all else fails you can resort to vocal sounds, but isn't it much more satisfying to know you've gotten what you want when you didn't even have to ask?

Lesson #4: It's Good to Be Out in Front

This may seem to contradict Lesson #3 but this lesson deals more with the physical rather than the temporal world. An alternate title could be, Don't Get Left Behind.

When you're out on a walk you naturally want to be the leader and that means you're out in front of the pack, scouting the trail, looking for things to chase, and making sure everything is safe for those who follow. Everything is going nice and smooth as long as the caravan continues to fall in behind you.

But sometimes the direction suddenly changes much to your surprise. Or you guess wrong at a Y junction. At times like these it's imperative to make up the lost ground and go as quickly as possible to the front of the walking party so that proper order is reestablished. All because it's important to be ahead of the general train.