Lessons learned from our dog

People love to tell you things are “too hard”.  They’re not meaning to be negative, they’d be horrified to hear you say that they’re taking the easy route, because their advice often comes couched as reasonable, thoughtful argument. But bottom line – if you never take on challenges you end up missing out.

I’d like to share a story about our puppy Sunny.  She died this week from cancer at the age of 6 (yes, still a puppy to us) and putting her down, and ending her pain, was one of the hardest things we've ever had to do.  If you have lost a furry family member you know that this can be heartbreaking and their absence leaves an indelible hole in your heart.

Just under 6 years ago I got a text from my daughter Joy announcing she had bought a puppy from some dodgy property out the back of Bendigo, and was bringing her home to our house of 4 cats.  To say I was unimpressed was to put it lightly.  The puppy she proudly brought home was a miserable scrap of unhappy dog that flinched from everyone and spent her first few months cowering under the cupboard.

No puppy cuddles with this one, she was terrified of other dogs, scared of men, hated tall people.  It all combined to a picture of this little dog having experienced abuse from the time she was born.

As animals do, they often conceal their timid nature and fear under an aggressive exterior and Sunny never really grew out of a zest for trying for a nip at any stranger she could reach.  She was some part sharpei and some part cattle dog (not a great combo) which probably explains her need to herd the cats, boss everyone in sight and guard the house fiercely.

But when she loved, she loved devotedly.  As time went by, Sunny and my husband Craig became best of friends, she was his little doggy soulmate and he could do no wrong in her eyes.

He and Sunny were a well known gang of two walking the streets of Emerald watching the wildlife, making friends with local cats, and exploring bushland. They even shared a Facebook page...

Craig was convinced Sunny was as environmentally conscious as he was.   Um, yeah, nope.  Should the cats catch the rare bird, Sunny muscled in on the hunt to grab the prize.  Whoops, environmental activism gone awry.

She had a small pack of friends; Joy and Roddy’s partners Chris and Georgia; she adored Canadian Hannah and best buddy Nat, and a select few she deigned to approve of.  The rest of the world – not so much.

When she was still a small puppy, a then friend of mine disapprovingly watched as Sunny (unsuccessfully) lunged at a passerby.  We were doing the approved training discipline method as she casually remarked,

“Sunny is always going to be a difficult dog and she’s probably not safe.  She really should be put down for her own good”.

I might not have chosen Sunny, but please don’t be speaking of my furry family that way. And “for her own good”??  Watch for this kind of justification in all manner of contexts, it’s sneaky.

Aaaaaaand, one ex friend.

Every single time a client came to the studio, Sunny was out at the gate shouting dire warnings.  Every time we had guests, Sunny had to be restrained until she had assessed the potential dangers.  Even then should anyone have the temerity to walk around freely, the back of their knees were in imminent danger of being nipped.

Was it hard?  Of course it was.  She required constant supervision, discipline and special treatment.  We had to keep the rest of the world safe but also keep her safe too.

Was it worth it?  Absolutely.

We have precious memories of puppy cuddles, Sunny giving the cats loving licks till they stalked off to clean themselves, wild games of chase in the garden, little piggy grunts from her as she rolled luxuriously in the grass, and quiet times on the veranda as she surveyed her doggy kingdom.

We would have deprived ourselves of 6 years of unconditional love if we’d listened to that friend who thought Sunny was “too hard”.

And since this is a fitness blog, let me tie it in to a health and fitness life lesson.

Fear or laziness or too tight zones of comfort can not only restrict us from growing, they can deprive us of wonderful opportunities.

If it’s “too hard” to get out to exercise on a cold winters night, are you in fact depriving yourself of the feelings of achievement and self confidence that comes with being fit?

If it’s “too hard” to eat nutritious foods that nurture our bodies, are we depriving ourselves of wellness and all the benefits that come with staying healthy?

If it’s “too hard” to leave a toxic friendship, relationship or job, are we in fact depriving ourselves of the opportunity to be treated how we actually deserve to be treated? To take a leap of faith and anticipate that something wonderful is coming?

I never believed I would grow to love Sunny – I’m a Crazy Cat Lady after all.  I never believed I could overcome my irritation with all her special needs.   But with time and effort, I learned to enjoy her funny, quirky personality.

She gave love without stinting and to be the recipient of that kind of unconditional love is a life long gift.

Imagine if we’d said “it’s too hard” to that.

We’ll miss our ‘Sunald McBunald’ always.