SIMPLE WISDOM FOR PEOPLE IN DISTRESS
WELCOME TO DEKKER’S PAGE OF WISDOM FROM THE DOG HOUSE.
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST VISIT TO HEAR FROM DEKKER, YOU WILL, OF COURSE, WANT TO
KNOW ABOUT THIS AMAZING SERVICE DOG WHO’S HEART TO SERVE
HAS EXTENDED TO NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ARCHIVES OF HIS GROWING LIBRARY
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Dear Dekker,
I made a bunch of resolutions for the new year and
I have broken all of them already.
I feel like such a failure.
How can I learn to do what I say I will do?
Thanks, Miguel
Woof, Miguel,
When I get my teeth wrapped around a bone that has a hint of gristle and fat I never let it go. That is what is needed to stick with a resolution. It doesn’t have to have a lot of meat, but it must have flavor in order to make it worth holding on tight. Perhaps your resolutions are missing flavor? Try adding a bit of spice to your resolutions and get back to me. I really do care how that works for you. Woof woof, Dekker.
STAYING WARM IN THE WINTER
Dear Dekker
Do you like the cold and snow? The winters where I live are long
and lonely because the weather keeps me from going out much.
I am used to living in the tropics where I was born.
I wish I knew how to stay warm.
Thank you—Jaunita
Woof Woof, Jaunita ,
It helps to have a fur coat but I can’t exactly give you mine, now can I? I know a skinny little terrier down the street who shivers and shakes every time he goes outside. Is that what you feel?
Jackets don’t help him much and he has almost no fur. People have no fur either. Brrr…ufff. You could warm up from the inside. I’ve heard hot tea works. And so does bringing a cup to someone else who needs it.
I feel a lot of warmth whenever I serve my person. Guess that’s why I am called a ‘service’ dog. Try serving others and see if that makes you feel any warmer. Woof.
EATING LEFT-OVERS
Dear Dekker,
My mom gives us left-overs for days after a good meal.
Everything is a ‘re-run’ and I am sick of it.
I have to raid the refrigerator late at night
to get first-run food around here.
Thanks, Reggie
Woof Woof, Reggie
YUM. I will be right over. Left overs are the best part of any meal. You are so lucky. The only thing I eat is kibble, although if I am lucky I get an overripe banana or a raw carrot. But they are not strictly ‘left-over.’
What is it that you don’t like? Sometimes leftovers can be a bit soggy. Or is the real issue that you are a privileged kid who feels entitled to whatever you want?
I knew a rottweiller who was like that. He stole a steak from his master’s plate. It didn’t go well for that dog. Feeling entitled to take whatever you want will not lead to a happy ending. Refry your beans. You will be glad you did. Woof.
GOING TO THE DENTIST
Dear Dekker,
I have a dental appointment coming up soon and I wonder
if you have any advice for someone who is afraid of
pain – especially in my mouth.
Thank you, Liu Chan
Ow-woooooof, Liu Chan.
I know about pain. I broke a tooth recently and had to have it removed surgically. When I first broke it, it hurt so much I threw up my supper. Several times.
We do unpredictable things when we hurt. Sometimes we bite. I don’t recommend biting your dentist. He is the one who knows how to make the pain go away.
Do you have someone to bring you some soft mash with bananas? Works everytime to make me feel better. And last, find a soft cuddly lap to curl up in, although, I don’t know if there is room in the dentist’s chair for that. You may have to wait until you get home. Woof Woof.
THE GRIEF OF LOSING A PET
Dear Dekker,
I had to say goodbye to my cat “Whiskers”
and it was the worst pain I ever felt.
How can I make this pain go away so
I will be able to love another cat?
Thank you, Simon
Woof, Simon. Woof woof.
I think you may be confusing pain with suffering. You now have a ‘Whiskers’ shaped hole in your heart. Getting pain to “go away” is asking for a piece of you to go away.
Don’t do that, for then you would need a ‘search and rescue’ dog to find what is missing in your life.
I suggest you explore the shape of the hole. I would imagine sniffing it all out, but you may have a better approach. Speak kindly to it and love it. It will be with you always, as will the memory of Whisker’s meow and strands of his hair in the chair cushions.
What you are really wanting is your suffering from this pain to ease. That is where there is room for your next cat. A cat who will make his own unique space in your heart next to memories of Whiskers. Woof woof.
COMPARING A DOG’S LIFE TO A PERSON’S
Dear Dekker,
Sometimes I think a dog has an easier life than people.
Can you tell me how a dog’s life is different?
Thank you, Elias
Woof, Elias,
One of the differences I notice between dogs and people is people live a lot in the future. Or the past. I don’t make promises to do anything tomorrow. If it is important I do it now.
People are more like curious puppies, always sniffing things to see if they are good to play with. They don’t use their noses, of course. They use the internet to sniff with. Strange behavior if you ask me.
And people are not as easy to train as dogs. They aren’t satisfied with a little kibble and they have a dfficult time staying on a leash. Other than that, I notice both people and dogs get excited at mealtime. Too bad people don’t have a tail to wag. Woof woof
RECENT ARTICLES BY DEKKER
NEVER MISS AN ARTICLE FROM
“THE REFLECTIVE PEN”
DO YOU ENJOY WRITING AND/OR SHARING STORIES?
When you join Memoir Collective you will find support and
encouragement to write the stories you always wished you had written
Click on the image below
