We just watched A Dog Year with Jeff Bridges and an amazing border collie actor. I haven't read the book. I could related to a lot of the movie. The crazy dog antics for one. They are guaranteed to make me laugh but they are not so funny when you are in the midst of it. Dog running out the door and dragging me on the leash? That's Ellie. Chewed up house? That was (and sometimes still is) Sienna.
And of course the sad part. Luckily they get the sad part out of the way early in the film when one of the older dogs died. It hit a nerve of course because he had heart problems and hip issues just like my Zuki. Always so sad to see them go. But it wasn't the main part of the film fortunately.
I could also relate personally because I am sort of in a confusing part of my life just like the author/main character. Focusing on my dogs has helped give me life some focus too. Like one of the grief counselors said at my therapy session for pet loss, I am good at giving my animals structure and meet their needs but not as good at giving myself that. But I am good at learning lessons from my dogs.
I also liked the message the trainer said to the man. He was the problem, not the dog. Don't blame the dog if she or he is not "behaving" as you would like them to. We live in a world with a lot of rules and it's up to us to find a way to communicate those rules to the dogs in a compassionate way.
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws
1 comment:
I love what the grief counselor said to you & I think I tend to do that same thing. It's so much easier to focus on them & their needs then our own.
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