So I'm learning a thing or two about dogs recently. I'll say that I am a very slow learner in this respect. I have little to no experience training dogs. My whole life, I think I've been more of a cat-person. :D But being that I'm severely allergic to cats, we have opted for the lesser allergen producer - the dog! :D Well, in our case...two dogs. Jack and Pepper.
Now Jack is what my husband lovingly refers to as a "lap-terrier". :D He's a rat terrier, supposedly a former show dog, and quite an easy dog to own. He's not especially keen on walking long distances and would rather cuddle in your lap all day. He's obedient (generally) and we really have no complaints about him. Like I said...easy dog to own.
But see, Jack was intended for Jonathan when we opted to take him in. But Jack really didn't take to Jonathan. I think Jonathan is like me...not that much of a dog person. So, I came up with the "brilliant" idea of getting a second dog and having Jonathan pick the dog. Well, he picked Pepper! We adopted Pepper from Operation Kindness a little over a year ago. Talk about a lesson that taught me how I know nothing about dogs!!!
I had the most difficult time house training her. I haven't really trained her to do much since then either, other than sit and walk on a leash. But thank the Lord she is not a difficult dog to train...just needs a better trainer than me! Well, I finally grew a brain cell in this dog-training thing and have realized that my training efforts have missed a vital part...consideration of her breed. Pepper is a Catahoula Leopard mix. She's a herding dog who needs lots of exercise, a natural protector, and a very interactive dog who doesn't like to be isolated.
Let's list some of my mistakes...bringing her in as #2 dog instead of #1, trying to crate train her (isolation), and not giving her lots and lots and lots of exercise. Throw in a few more ignorant things on my part and I'm thinking that the skittish, high anxiety dog I now own is a monstrous creation of my own hands! :( Now, we are changing up some things in order to help Pepper be the dog God created her to be...a herding dog who gets lots of exercise, little correction for being a protector (she doesn't yap, but punishing her for barking isn't good), and we're trading the crate for a bed to help her with her isolation anxiety.
I think this little lesson is applicable to life in general. As a wife and mom, it's important that I see the world as God's creation and stop trying to make everything (including people and pets) fit my mold. God designed everything and everyone with a specific temperament...a particular place in His world. Seeing creation for what it is and letting that creature thrive according to His design is much more productive, and not to mention produces less anxiety for everyone, than trying to make something into what it's not.
So for all you fellow control addicts out there...take note of your surroundings and see with new eyes today. God created us all with a specific purpose in mind and our challenge is to do what we can to work in union with God's purpose and plan. Look at your spouse, your children, even your pets and see that each of them has a unique design; put aside your plan and expectations and ask what you can do to work with God in His ways and according to His purposes!
Read: Genesis 1, note how many times God created each thing "according to its kind"...and how many times He says, "It was good".
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