Dogs bring joy in many forms
By Gail Wieder
Board Member
Mark your calendars for April 5-6. We will once again be set up at the Forum for the popular Home & Small Business Trade Show. It is free to the public. We will be located just inside the main doors and will have a variety of merchandise to sell. We love hearing stories about how your shelter pet is doing, so stop by and say hello!
What a joy it is to see your dog smile. Yes, dogs do smile. Whether they are greeting us at the door or romping with their pals, their joy is infectious. Only gone for a day or a few hours, when you get home their bright, tongue-waggy faces are at the window, at the door as it opens — their furry feet pawing at your pant legs in happy reunion. Everything you are holding is laid down and you’re on the floor, they’re in our arms and we’re in theirs. They’re ours. We’re home.
Hail the Sweeties, the pups who melt into a puddle at your feet with the first touch or scratch — the ones who offer those soft, warm nuzzles that invariably bring on the giggles; the ones who magically spark any moment with a smile that says, without a doubt, “Guess what? I love you.”
What about the Laughers? We applaud the clowns of the canine world, those dogs who look like they get the punchline, even if the joke is a shredded up shoe or the extra treat they just snuck. They are in love with life; just being happy makes us love them more.
We all must have Adventurers. I know I do. They are our co-pilots and fellow adventurers. Nothing makes them smile more than sniffing out new territory or simply covering a worn path with us. Curious, generous with discoveries and so brave, what more can be asked of a traveling companion; they are our perfect partners in fun.
I know we have all had a Joker or have seen one. We usually have funny names for our joker dogs: Hambone, Goofball, Silly Girl, Bonehead. What they have in common is a love of mischief, humor and fun. They are the first to steal our slippers, hide the chew toy and tolerate the silly songs we make up about them and sometimes they even sing along. These dogs are proof that laughter is the best medicine.
Then we have the Grinners; whether it’s a quick show of pearly whites or a huge ear-to-ear display, the memory of a dog’s grin lingers long after their tail stops wagging. Their joyfulness is impossible to resist.
Dogs understand the importance of being earnest; it is built into their genetic code. Our most devoted companions display their loyalty and constancy with unbridled enthusiasm and grace. Of the many lessons dogs impart to us, one of the most important is that being earnest is at the heart of the best relationships.
Most of this information I obtained from a book that a co-worker gave me a few years back, called “Dog Joy: the Happiest Dogs in the Universe” by the editors of “The Bark.” There are so many interesting things in this book I thought I would share a little with you.
If you are looking for that friend for life, come visit us at Central Aroostook Humane Society. We have some wonderful animals there looking for that special family and home to call their own. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. Remember, be responsible, have your pet spayed or neutered.
