A while back, I wrote a post about how Eric wanted me to act as happy as our dog does to see him come home from work. So, when I recently ran across the song, “Like My Dog” by Billy Currington, I had to smile. While I didn’t appreciate some of the language used towards the end of the song, I found the concept to be true. Ladies, I think you might be surprised to learn how much dogs can teach us about how to treat our fellows! They are man’s best friend for a reason, after all! Below are a few lyrics to Billy’s song:
He never tells me that he’s sick of this house
He never says, “Why don’t you get off that couch?”
He don’t cost me nothin’ when he wants to go out
I want you to love me like my dog
He never says I need a new attitude
Him and my sister ain’t always in a feud
When I leave the seat up, he don’t think that’s rude
I want you to love me like my dog does baby
When I come home want you to just go crazy
He never looks at me like he might hate me
I want you to love me like my dog.
I know it is unrealistic to think that we could treat our beloved the way a loyal dog would all the time, but there are a few good habits to be gained by watching their behavior. In our case, Ramsey (our golden retriever) smiles at Eric constantly. When he walks in the door, her whole world revolves around him and his face lights up. After all, he’s been working hard all day and there is something special about coming home and being appreciated.
It put things in perspective when Eric asked me to be a little more like Ramsey when he came home from work. This excitement is often abundant early in a marriage; but, after a while, our loved one coming home becomes part of our routine. Make a point to treat your spouse’s return home from work like a big deal, as often as possible. Believe me, it will start your evening together on the right foot! On the other hand, if you want to guarantee an unpleasant evening, attack your spouse with verbal venom when he or she walks in through the door.
When I think of famous dogs, I think of the word loyalty. Since dogs don’t speak English, Spanish, French, etc., they have no problem being loyal with their words. Who ever heard of a dog bad mouthing his or her master? We love our dogs partially because they don’t cause us pain. They offer comfort instead of demands. Ramsey loves to be with Eric. If he’s watching TV, she’s there. If he’s sorting the mail, she’s there. If he’s eating, she’s most certainly there. She shows her loyalty by choosing to be very attentive and with her master whenever possible.
Lastly, Ramsey does not make demands of Eric. She has needs that will drive her to whine (e.g., bathroom duties and hunger pains), but she doesn’t spend her life demanding his money, affection, understanding, or affirmation. She loves it when she gets a new toy and lots of attention, but she goes on showing him love and loyalty anyway, even when he’s not perfect.
Some days I do wish I was more like Ramsey. She doesn’t see Eric’s faults. She just sees that he’s the man that chose her, takes care of her, and loves her. That’s all she needs to be happy. That’s pretty sobering, I think.
When you tie the knot, don’t let the family dog put you to shame. Make it a point to treat each other with the unconditional love and affection of a furry friend.
Are you letting your dog put you to shame in how you interact with your beloved?
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