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Today, March 2nd, is our dog’s third birthday.
His name is Finn. If you’ve been here a little while you may have seen him pop up in a post or two. He’s a 90-pound ball of black fluff with the sweetest disposition and the quietest stubborn streak I’ve ever seen. He’s hilarious, empathetic, quirky, and always wants to be near his people. He’s the dog of my dreams.
When he was given to us as an eight-week-old puppy, a gift from a family friend, I genuinely didn’t know what to expect. I’ve always loved dogs but never owned one as an adult, and certainly had never raised a puppy. It was a wild ride, for sure.
But there’s a reason why dog owners always seem to wax lyrical about their dogs. It’s because dogs have the strangest ability to teach us the lessons we need, not the ones we want (they’re a bit like children in this way). And on the far side of those lessons, if we’re listening, we can only be grateful to them for their wisdom.
I’ve written this week about pericraft, the “stuff around the stuff”. Well, I may have learned it from Finn. He is a master at process over outcome.
I mentioned his quiet stubborn streak. Finn is one-quarter poodle, and that quarter manages to rule about 80% of his decisions. When you give a command to a poodle, they give you a very unique look that says, “What’s in it for me?”
Finn doesn’t outright disobey, but he doesn’t exactly obey, either. He watches, he appraises, he considers. Then, he usually does the thing you ask, but only on his terms and timing.
Walks with Finn are never about getting from point A to point B. They are long, meandering adventures through a landscape of scent that only he can experience. He eats his meals in stages, never wolfing his food but seeming to savor it. He’s terrible at games; fetch, in particular, is too structured for his taste. Potty time is all about choosing the perfect spot, much to my constant chagrin. I’m usually in a rush to get back inside and finish work ahead of a deadline while he’s carefully sniffing at every lithadora bush for the ideal pee place.
But today, on his birthday, I will admit publicly that Finn is a very patient teacher, especially with the impatient humans in his life. He will not be hurried or cowed. He will not be pushed or shoved. Commands don’t work. Cheese will get you somewhere, but only so far. Life is at his pace, his personality, his pericraft.
There’s something inspiring about that, I think.
What Finn has taught me is that, in so many cases, the process is the entire point.
In other words: if you walk too fast, you miss the good smells.
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This reminded me of my mom’s dog, who had a very similar disposition. She was half beagle and half Shetland sheep dog, and she was very particular about smells and potty spots!
Love this!! Happy Birthday, Finn!