Get Along Little Doggies

As I sit here typing this evening, I'm sharing my couch with three dogs ... hmmm ... I seem to remember having an extra dog in the mix last week, too. My canine house guest this week, however, takes up a wee bit more space on the couch than the pup who stayed with me and Julie and Ollie last week ... don't tell Max he's bigger than Peanut, though, because I'm pretty sure he doesn't know. His big old Lab head is resting on Julie's rump at the moment, and they are both sound asleep next to Ollie who somehow managed to squeeze himself in between me and the big dogs. And by the way, don't tell him he's not as big as Julie and Max, because I'm pretty sure he thinks he is. Friday evening, Peanut will be coming back for a sleepover ... if you're counting, that will be four dogs under my roof ... two bigs and two littles ... I'd better buy some more Cheetos for sure. 

If I weren't so tired this evening, I'd share some of the more hilarious things my granddogs do when they visit ... like Peanut pooping under my car every day or Max eating a dozen raw eggs, shells included, when I turned away from the counter for less than 10 seconds ... but I need some sleep, so Maxie and Peanie stories will have to wait until another time. But before I call it a night, there's something I've learned from having the extra hounds in my house over the last few days ... something I think perhaps some of you may need to learn as well. Having said that, read the following words carefully ... all of these dogs get along together. Need to read those words again? Julie and Ollie and Max and Peanut all get along with each other ... they don't fight over toys ... they don't fight over food ... they don't fight over who sleeps the closest to me in my bed at night ... they don't fight over who is the first one to drink from the water bowl. One more time? All of these dogs get along with each other ... they get along and they don't fight.

Now I know some of you are thinking that there's a good chance the reason all these dogs get along so well is because they don't see each other very often, but I would beg to differ with that assumption. In fact, I would argue that it should be just the opposite ... because they aren't together very often, the golden rule of dogs would state that they should growl and snarl and bite each other because they aren't together all the time. But they don't ... they may do a little butt-sniffing here and there, but they don't fight or growl or snarl or bite or compete for my attention. And I think Julie and Max and Ollie and Peanut don't do those things because they know they don't need to ... they feel safe and secure and wanted and cared for and loved, and there's no reason for them to fight.

So here's the thing ... I, and probably more than a few of you, would do well to treat our fellow humans the way my dogs and granddogs treat each other. We would do well to stop fighting ... we would do well to stop competing ... we would do well to stop complaining ... we would do well to stop biting ... we would do well to stop attacking ... we would do well to get along.

Get along little doggies ... get along.