My dogs always want to participate in what I’m doing at any given moment. They’ll watch me out of the window as I go to the mailbox to collect the mail. They’ll watch me place dirty laundry in the washing machine. Of course, they follow me to the kitchen when I want a quick bite to eat or I’m preparing food. However, there are certain things that interest me that they show great joy in participating in, while other interests they could care less about.
It made me wonder: Do dogs share our interests?
I enjoy writing these articles and the writing process in general. I’ll admit that sometimes I need to get myself motivated to write. But once I have a topic in mind and start typing, everything flows nicely. My boy, Woody, loved to keep me company while wrote my book and articles for various publications. He was always there to support and motivate me to create the best story or article I could create. He was definitely my muse and enjoyed participating.
After Woody made his transition, I assumed one of my other pups would take over and enjoy Woody’s role as my writing companion. Unfortunately, my present pups, Dusty and Kramer, get bored sitting in one place too long and really don’t understand the joy I have in completing a story. They’d rather play exuberantly in the hallway with their favorite toys. Chasing each other back and forth is much more exciting, but this always happens when I’m in the middle of writing. My usual routine is to write a paragraph, yell down the hallway to tell them to settle down, and then write another paragraph. This goes on until I’ve finished my article, or they win out and we go for a run in the park.
I do share some interests with my pups. Dusty loves to watch television with me. She is especially interested in sporting events that have a ball as part of the game. The bigger the ball appears on the screen, the more her interest is piqued. She loves it when we play fetch with her own toy balls, so it stands to reason that she enjoys seeing balls on the television screen. Kramer thinks television is a total waste of time. He usually takes advantage of television time to sleep in his big doggy bed. Of course, this is the only time that Dusty leaves him alone and doesn’t goad him into playing and wrestling.
Both of my dogs love to go for rides in the car, especially when we drive up to the North Georgia mountains. They find the view to be very interesting because it looks different from the day-to-day scenery they see near our house. They seem at ease as we are driving up and down the hills, and they don’t mind the occasional jostling from the twists and turns.
I know it’s enjoyable and peaceful for me to drive up to the mountains, and I know they pick up on my positive energy and joy of the ride. It’s very nice that we can enjoy this activity together.
Occasionally my wife, Kim, enjoys playing music in the house, whether it’s watching one of the numerous vocal competitions on TV or cranking some tunes that she’s downloaded on the computer. This allows her to relax and unwind. I enjoy seeing her happy while she’s listening to the latest tunes. The dogs couldn’t care less about the music, but if it leads to dancing, they’re totally on board. They want to be right at our feet, jumping up and down and joining in with their barking and sometimes, singing along, too.
Sharing common interests always brings a family closer together. This is true even if your family has furry members.
Do your dogs share your interests? What interests do they share with you? Please share your stories and pictures in the comments.
About Tim Link: All-American guy who loves to rock out to Queen while consuming pizza and Pinot Noir and prefers to associate with open-minded people who love all critters. Considers himself to be the literal voice for all animals. Author, writer, radio host, Reiki Master, Animal Communicator and consultant at Wagging Tales.
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