Gratitude Friday 02 03 23 Canis Lupus Familiaris

Descendant from Wolves, dogs are nearly perfect save one design flaw, their lives are far too short. We lost the one who was closest to us in the world last Sunday. Mr. Tweaks who knew every toy by name and supported us in so many ways. He remains only in our hearts. I know that some but not all readers may share this deep connection to dogs that we feel. May never had a dog who they were deeply bonded with. The posts I make over the course of the next few weeks may not be something of interest to them. This week, I found a number of dog quotes that resonate with me. I may also recycle some gratitude posts on dogs I have written over the years to give myself some down time. I hope you enjoy, and I also understand if you decide to scroll on!

“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 man.” ― Mark Twain

“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.” ― John Grogan, Marley and Me

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ― Milan Kundera

“No matter how close we are to another person, few human relationships are as free from strife, disagreement, and frustration as is the relationship you have with a good dog. Few human beings give of themselves to another as a dog gives of itself. I also suspect that we cherish dogs because their unblemished souls make us wish - consciously or unconsciously - that we were as innocent as they are, and make us yearn for a place where innocence is universal and where the meanness, the betrayals, and the cruelties of this world are unknown.” ― Dean Koontz,

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” ― Will Rogers

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” ― Mark Twain

“Dogs are minor angels, and I don't mean that facetiously. They love unconditionally, forgive immediately, are the truest of friends, willing to do anything that makes us happy, etcetera. If we attributed some of those qualities to a person we would say they are special. If they had ALL of them, we would call them angelic. But because it's "only" a dog, we dismiss them as sweet or funny but little more. However when you think about it, what are the things that we most like in another human being? Many times those qualities are seen in our dogs every single day-- we're just so used to them that we pay no attention.” ― Jonathan Carroll

“If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.” ― Woodrow Wilson

“I'm suspicious of people who don't like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn't like a person.” ― Bill Murray

“Over the years I've come to appreciate how animals enter our lives prepared to teach and far from being burdened by an inability to speak they have many different ways to communicate. It is up to us to listen more than hear, to look into more than past.” ― Nick Trout

“One of the greatest gifts we receive from dogs is the tenderness they evoke in us. The disappointments of life, the injustices, the battering events that are beyond our control, and the betrayals we endure, from those we befriended and loved, can make us cynical and turn our hearts into flint – on which only the matches of anger and bitterness can be struck into flame. By their delight in being with us, the reliable sunniness of their disposition, the joy they bring to playtime, the curiosity with which they embrace each new experience, dogs can melt cynicism, and sweeten the bitter heart.” ― Dean Koontz

“I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.” ― Doris Day

I am grateful to have experienced deep bonds with dogs, who seem to me in many ways to be a superior species to us. I am grateful for writers who have put these thoughts into word form.

What are you grateful for today?