Today was Bertie’s “Spa Day.” We call it that, anyway. It’s the day he goes to get a bath, have his hair cut, his nails trimmed and his teeth brushed. No one likes a ride in the car more than Bertie. He was thrilled to get his leash and go on an adventure this morning. When we arrived at his “spa,” he eagerly got out of the car and did the things that dogs do when they visit a place frequented by many other dogs. When it was time to go inside, however, he dug his feet into the pavement and wouldn’t budge. “No way! They’re going to touch my feet.” One of Bertie’s few distinctly dog-like characteristics is that he does not enjoy having his feet touched. The people at his “spa” often tell me of the screams he lets out when it’s time to trim his nails (this is why I don’t do it myself—I can’t stomach the melodramatics). So, he and I had one of our many one-sided chats. I reminded him that he was going to have fun and he’d feel better for being clean. After a few minutes, he reluctantly came with me. We approached the door and he paused, looking up at the handles, and he tentatively wagged his tail
Once, inside, however, he was all smiles—Mr. Roarke, “Welcome to Fantasy Island.” He immediately pushed passed the other people in line, pulling me along with him and headed right behind the reception counter. There was jumping and tail wagging and many wide-eyed greetings. I apologized, but the kind ladies behind the desk said that Bertie was always welcome back there. He looked for his friends the parrots, checked behind a filing cabinet and stuck his head in one of the ladies’ purses before being taken back for his bath. Everyone in the place seemed to be amused by Bertie’s confidence.
As I left, I began to realize something. When we were going inside, Bertie had the same reluctance that I often feel when I go somewhere—the same feeling of “I don’t want to” that many of us feel each day. But, he did it. He smiled (as dogs do) and made the best of it. He took a situation that he was dreading and had a good time with it.
There’s something to be learned there. Why can’t all of us face the day with a sense of confidence and fun? We can learn a lot from dogs.
2 comments:
I agree we can learn a lot from our pets.Your Bertie is very cute. I bet he makes the most of his "spa day" and is proud of the way he looks when he gets home.
He's a good boy. He's quite pleased with himself. I can tell he thinks he looks good.
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