When we first got Mollie (our lab mix puppy) I checked out How to be your dog's best friend from my local library. It is written by the Monks of New Skete in upstate New York. They have spent decades working with and learning from dogs. I've been reminded of some of what I have read as I have been looking back on my interactions with Mollie over the past year.
This repose has been brought on mainly by desire to have a great dog that I can take places with me and my family and not have to worry about how she'll behave. My wife has done a terrific job training Mollie. She will sit, lay down and mind most of the time. For a puppy under a year old she is a really good dog.
So I've been thinking about how your dog reflects a truer sense of who you are. Dogs see through any facade you might have for the world and show you what's behind your mask. For me it was simultaneously surprising and familiar. And then I understood why a group of monks who dedicate their lives to God would choose to work with dogs. And it's not only that dogs help you see yourself better, working with them also help you understand your relationship with God better.
Dogs mainly need two things: stability and safety. It is the owner's responsibility to provide those and often in that process of obtaining that end (i.e. training) the dog learns what is expected, what is allowed and what is not. The dog will be happier with boundaries, rules and structure. That is the same for us and God. He provides laws and boundaries for us so that we may know what is right and what is to be expected of us and of Him.
Now I know that dogs aren't people (that might be part of another dog post), but I also believe that a lot (if not all. I'm just not able to see it yet) that we experience here in this life points us heavenward. So I believe that for us dog owners, there is a lot we can learn about ourselves and God from our beloved companions.
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