Beastie: Lesson One

After being apart from my dog Beastie for two months, I was recently reunited with him. During our time together, I’ve been reminded of the many lessons that can be learned from observing canine behaviour.

Beastie has an obsession with the bed. Not his bed downstairs, but the bed upstairs. His campaign to gain access begins early each evening. He will tentatively raise a paw and place it on the edge of the bed and then look at you longingly with beguiling brown eyes.

If this tactic fails, he progresses to more determined methods — gentle whimpering, theatrical sighs, and positioning himself in the most guilt-inducing spots possible.

On the rare occasions when I relent and allow him up, his gratitude is immediate and overwhelming. He curls up contentedly, radiating pure bliss at having achieved his goal.

However, this honeymoon period is short-lived. After approximately ten minutes of comfort, a transformation occurs. The grateful, humble dog becomes territorial. Should any human dare to shift position or, heaven forbid, move their legs, Beastie will growl aggressively with a flurry of dog swear words in protest at the selfishness of a human to move.

This transgression results in immediate banishment downstairs. And yet, within hours, Beastie recommences his campaign for bedtime privileges with renewed enthusiasm, having apparently learned nothing from the experience.

This is a cycle of behaviour mirrored by humans in many aspects of life. We yearn for something, work hard to achieve it, enjoy it briefly, and then start taking it for granted — or worse, become resentful when it doesn’t meet our every expectation.

The lesson? None of us should take what we have or what we are given for granted.

Beastie Lesson Two will follow next week…