The World According to Captain Jack
Hello. My name is Captain Jack and I’m the terribly charming, witty, and intelligent pal of my human, Dan. I’ve been observing human behavior and have come to the conclusion that you all can learn a lot from dogs. Especially me. You see, I’m a Jack Russell and we are unquestionably the smartest dogs on the planet. Welcome to my column…
Dan was telling me that one of the big issues he is working on with the school board is about having dogs in the classroom. I guess there are some dogs that are called “therapy dogs” who come and help kids learn in the classroom. Me….I can’t do it. These dogs have to be on their best behavior all the time, be docile, not chase squirrels, and teach kids. I can’t do any of the first three, and what I can teach kids, their parents want no part of…believe me!
Here’s what I would teach –
- Take risks. Fail. Learn. Take more risks. Dogs would never have any fun if we didn’t take a few risks. Humans are the same way. Too boring.
- Get lots of sleep. Dog brains need lots of sleep and so do humans from what I understand. Humans work too hard sometimes. Get more sleep.
- Learn how to influence. I influence Dan all the time to feed me, take me out for a walk or other unmentionables, watch TV, and sleep on the bed. We dogs influence with our eyes and natural charm. Humans use language.
- Find new adventures in the same old yard. My yard is my regular stomping grounds. Other dogs have fenced yards. Either way, we see the same thing everyday, but we make each day a new adventure. Humans get discouraged too easily. Just because it’s the same yard, doesn’t mean you can’t keep having fun. Find new smells!
- Live in the moment. Sometimes I get in trouble, but I forget about it and move on. Humans tend to mope about bad things too much and then the bad things linger on longer than they ever should have.
You see some dogs can provide therapy, and some might just need it themselves. I think I may just fall into the last one, but who cares. I’m having fun!
Just saying…
Captain Jack
© 2012 Captain Jack. All Rights Reserved
