IT will probably have escaped the attention of all but the most astute, kindest and most fun-loving among us (including this writer, who, however, is mightily grateful for the information — as is his hound) but it was International Dog Day this past week – the fact that it was mentioned in close proximity to a piece that reminded everyone of the upcoming International Daughter Day can only be seen as coincidental and not indicative of a preference of the former over the latter!
Let us for the moment indeed celebrate our canine friends. Henry Ward Beecher, an American pastor and social reformer in the nineteenth century, declared that “The dog was created especially for children. He is the god of frolic.” We read of an old Irish proverb that says, “A dog owns nothing, yet is seldom dissatisfied.” How true is that! Charles Schulz had his central character, Snoopy (the dog), in one of his cartoon strips, type, as the title of his imaginary book, ‘Why Dogs are the Most Superior of All Creatures on Land, Sea and Sky and Maybe Space’, to which Lucy, his owner responded, “I think your title is a bit long”. Snoopy smartly replied, “I'll take out the 'Maybe'.”
Indeed, in another Snoopy cartoon strip, another character, Linus, says to Snoopy, “You know what Snoopy? I don't understand people. No matter how hard I try, I just don't understand them!” Snoopy thinks to himself: “I know how he feels. I gave up trying to understand people long ago. Now I just let them try to understand me!” So let us learn and understand a few vital things from our faithful, fabulous canine friends, as they can teach us many valuable points.
No question, dogs are smart; they are clever, switched-on. They are great at sniffing out trouble, drugs, bombs. They are eyes for blind people, ears for deaf people, legs for shepherds. They are more than that, though. August Strindberg wrote in ‘A Madman's Diary’ many years ago,
“I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves.” Dogs are brave, for sure! In turn, Mark Twain, the American author and wit, once pointed out that “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”
Many dogs will have born testimony to that, no question. Dogs do not bear grudges. Robert Benchley insightfully stated that “A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.” While we may smile and dismiss the latter point, we will do well not to ignore the first two. We can learn a lot from dogs.
Obedience, loyalty, bravery – yes, these are all hugely important things for our children to learn and the sports field is a wonderful place for them to learn them. And dogs teach one more fundamental, crucial lesson, one that Gareth Southgate, the recent English soccer manager, noted following a series of bad press after poor performances by the national team.
He quoted the words of someone else who once said, with great perspective, that, following the end of a match, "Whatever happened out there, your dog will still greet you the same way regardless when you walk back through the door" – whether we win or lose, our value and importance does not change in the slightest degree. They love us and appreciate us and back us without a care in the world about the result.
Here, however, is a hugely significant and important point that dogs can teach us as adults but especially those of us who are involved in children playing sport. What happens on a sports field does not change anything; it does not define us, as dogs know only too well – it does not change anyone’s value, importance or significance. When will parents and coaches understand that?
Doggone it! It may seem to be too good to be true but actually dogs know best. Roger Caras is quoted as saying that “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” They certainly do. So, the time has definitely come where we need to stop trying to understand why on earth school sport coaches stress so much about results and rather, like Snoopy, get them to try to understand us. Whether they win or lose we must greet the same way regardless. We must not let this important point escape the attention, understanding or application of the coaches and parents in our schools. If we do, we clearly deserve, along with them, to be placed in the doghouse. There is no ‘Maybe’ in that. Chew on it, while you turn around three times before lying down.
