Man’s best friend
Dogs are called man’s best friend for their loyalty, emotional support, and obedience. My dog Loki is none of those. But what he might lack in those areas, he makes up for in others. Unintentionally, he is not only my companion but an effective teacher on how to live life.
The loose leash
I always imagined that when I finally had a dog of my own, it would be loyal and obedient. That we would go on long walks, him happily trotting along beside me no matter the distractions we would face. He’d pay attention to me, giving me a look saying, “I’m with you.”
Instead, Loki yanks me across the street because apparently sniffing the tree there is a matter of life and death. He’ll lunge at other dogs, try to sniff strangers, forgetting I’m even there, often feigning temporary deafness despite his acute hearing.
At first, I tried with all my might to train him to be the ideal dog I envisioned. The payoffs? Marginal. The stress? Massive.
After a while, I learned that it’s better to embrace his nature, to work with it rather than against it. No, he will never stay at my side perfectly. But if I use a leash effectively, I can get him to go along for a nice walk without stopping to inspect every blade of grass. I had to learn to accept reality rather than resist it.
Don’t forget the zoomies
As I grew up, life and all its demands made me play less and less. Once I reached adulthood, I had all but forgotten how to. It was a luxury. I had better, more useful things to do.
Nowadays, when I work at home and walk down the stairs to grab a cup of coffee, Loki is there. He’ll stand there, looking at me, and just from his gaze I know it’s playtime. I make one move, and off he goes, zooming through the living room.
He’s my constant, fluffy reminder that play is not a luxury—it is essential for a happy life. Because whenever I see him running around like that, I can’t help but think he’s having a better time than I am.
Sunshine and rainbows
When we first got Loki as a puppy, he was a handful, which is understating it. He whined all through the night and ran off whenever we let him off the leash. Once, he even jumped and stood on the windowsill to bark at passing dogs, which admittedly sounds funny. When that dog is 45 kg’s worth of Labradoodle, though, I can assure you it’s not. It was a rough time that I did not enjoy. Boy, do I wish I had.
Before we knew it, Loki was all grown up, the puppy days irrevocably lost. It saddens me that I never enjoyed the times when he would randomly attack me with his razor-sharp puppy teeth, or when he would sleep belly-up with his adorable pink paws.
Loki taught me to enjoy the ups despite the downs—that they will coexist. We cannot sit around and wait for the good times to find enjoyment because moments will irretrievably pass you by in the meantime. Life is not all sunshine and rainbows; finding happiness in life despite that is a conscious effort.
Five years and counting
Loki isn’t a poster-boy dog, but I love him nonetheless. He’s my buddy, and I’ve grown fond of him and his peculiarities over the years. He’s been with me for almost five years now, though it feels like much less.
It pains me to realize how old he already is, to be confronted by the fact that he’ll be around for just five, maybe ten, more years if I’m lucky.
After the sadness ebbs away, a bittersweet smile emerges on my face. We’ve had a great time together so far. Loki’s presence serves as a constant reminder: enjoy the time you’re given with those you love.
As Loki puts his head on my lap, as he does every evening, I can’t help but see him differently after writing this. He’s not just my buddy, my four-legged companion—no, he’s a great teacher. Despite being the antithesis of an ideal dog, Loki turns out to be man’s best friend nonetheless.
