Eyes of an Old Dog

Through the eyes of an old dog.

Some things never change.  One of those is preparing yourself for the inevitable facts that await you in 10 years, give or take a few, when buying a puppy.  If it’s your first, you’ll learn a lot along the way through the eyes of a dog who has been there more than once.

The first few years consist of getting to know each other.  The cute puppy face, puppy eyes, the puppy breath have you wrapped up in a heavenly puppy dream to compensate for the potty  accidents and destroyed-into-shreds slippers.

The “teenage” years can bring out the best of your temper when that we’ll trained puppy decides he has a mind of his own and uses it to inflame those blood vessels that run to your temples.  But when it comes down to it, a quick look into that dogs eyes and you melt like butter, making yourself understand that dogs don’t contemplate the consequences of their actions prior to engaging in destructive behavior.  Those eyes only see the good in life and in you.

Before you know it, the senior years are upon us and the once very bright eyes have turned foggy but still possess the sparkle that brought you together to start.  These days are filled with lots of sleepy snuggle time, walks in the woods, and long fulfilling talks with a dedicated and loving old friend.

All dogs go to heaven for teaching us lowly humans about life in a  “fast forward”, short period of time.  If we treated our human loved ones as we treat our dogs, many families would remain families instead of disasters.  We should remember to understand others, in different periods of their life, will react in different ways; the young will be foolhardy and quick; the middle aged will be short to think of others and hard workers; and the old will be slow and thoughtful.

Just remember to look into those eyes and recount all the reasons you loved them from the start.