I guess my years of showing dogs taught me to always be focused on the structure of a dog, and their movement. There's no perfect dog out there, but the generally held rule of thumb is that a dog who can move reasonably well based upon their breed standard, has to have decent construction under all of the fur. It's been a very helpful principle to me as a trainer, because sometimes when a dog is being "stubborn" with a given command, it's not so much stubbornness as it is structure. Dogs that have poorly constructed hips, for example, may have difficulty sitting. Getting up and going down into a proper "lay down" position is going to probably be a lot more work for them, so training sessions that are short and sweet are just being considerate of our furry friends and their disabilities.
So today, I was impressed again today by Rugby's tail. He has really got one amazing tail! Few dogs I know have a tail quite like his! He holds it in so many different positions! It curls up over his back most of the time, not tightly, or touching his back, but in a nice, delicate, curved arch. It has fur that's probably 6-8 inches long on it, so it really looks like a big ole' plume, and it's rarely NOT in motion. He wags it back and forth from side to side over his back, but when he's really excited to see someone he knows, he'll spin it in a circle like an airplane propeller. When he runs, it's straight out behind him, like an extension of his back, and he uses it like a flap on an airplane wing, to help him slow down or change direction. As he slows from a run to a stop, it goes from straight out behind him to gradually curl up over his back into his "normal" tail position.
And what I've discovered, is that I think to Rugby, his tail is like a trophy. He really seems to like his tail! It's almost like a sense of pride to him, and when he wags it, you can tell that he's really proud of it. When I playfully grab it, or fluff the fur, he almost looks at me the same way that I would look at someone who messed up my hair. It's like "Don't mess with the tail!" Grooming his tail will generate a look of concern from him, as he doesn't really like those long furs brushed or pulled in any way. He almost seems to understand my saying, "I see you wagging your tail!" because when he's barely moving it and I say that, he wags it all the harder, as if to say, "Yup! It's my tail and I'm proud of it! Doesn't it look great?!" And his eyes will shine as he wags...
And what I started thinking, is that really all of us have some physical quality about ourselves that we really, really like. It's a sense of feeling proud about ourselves, not in a haughty, nasty way, but in a really nice, good, healthy way. It could be eye color, hairstyle, smile, physical shape or condition...the list of possibilities is honestly just endless. All too often, I think we all just focus on what's wrong with ourselves rather than what's right with ourselves. We live in a culture where plastic surgery is available to "fix" those unsavory physical qualities, so that we can look "perfect." But really, what's our "breed standard"? Where's the written description of what the "perfect" human looks like? Or how the "perfect" human should move? There IS no breed standard for the human race, so maybe we just need to lose the mental image we create for ourselves and find our "tail"--that one physical trait that we love about ourselves. I think we've all got a "tail" to be proud of, and who knows...loving one thing about oursleves might lead to loving more than one thing about ourselves. And what if that lead to loving others more too....and being more accepting of their imperfections, just as we've learned to accept our own? Loving in general is never bad in my book, and to think that it all started with a small dog's tail...
