 Kealah was a German Rottweiler and had a beautiful temperament and, as with most dogs, was much more a best friend than a family pet. Kealah had a great life with daily trips to the beach, frolics on the sand, walks in the bush and BBQ leftovers on a regular basis
After she passed away the house just didn’t feel the same, it felt cold, empty and very lonely. It’s amazing the life and beautiful energy that animals have. Our cat is only seven months old, and he was really pining for our Kealah, so we thought it would be best for all of us if we got a puppy and so our lives changed dramatically again.
Once we made the decision it was a simple matter of finding the right pup. We did a lot of research into different breeds and came back to our faithful companion the Rottweiler. They have had a lot of bad press in the past, but once you have owned a Rotti they say you’ll never have anything else … I guess they were right!
The search began at the local RSPCA. We were hoping there may have been something just right, a long shot, but worth a go. (As a side note, the RSPCA facilities at Unanderra are exceptional, if you haven’t yet been out there it’s really worth a visit. They even have a play area for the kittens, so if you’re in the market you can have a good old fashioned play and cuddle before taking home your new pet.) With no puppies that were suitable we began phoning the local pet shops. Being straight after Christmas we were told there is generally a shortage in puppies at this time of year. I guess it makes sense when you think about it!
So back to the internet and we finally found a breeder in Kimbriki (that’s pretty close to whoop whoop for those of you that haven’t been there) that had one little female left that was ready to go. So we jumped in the car and battled the holiday traffic (that’s another story) up towards Taree. We then turned left and spent another 45 minutes on dirt roads till we reached our little girl.
She’s now been with us for a few days and I’ve already learnt a few pearls of wisdom from her. I’m sure there are many more to come!
 1) Make new friends: It’s so easy to make new friends. In fact, Tali simply assumes that everyone is wonderful, cats, dogs, snails, people, anyone, she just assumes they are ready to give her all the love and affection she needs. What a beautiful outlook for the human race to adopt.
2) Stand your ground: When someone crosses you, don’t be afraid to tell them how you really feel. It’s much better than just laying down and accepting the situation.
3) Get fresh air: On the way home (yep, that six hour drive) Tali constantly had her nose shoved in the air vent, just soaking up the fresh air. Take some time out in fresh air today, and notice how refreshing it is!
4) Know when it’s time to lay down and be submissive: You can’t win all the battles you go into, and when it’s time to lay down do so graciously. It’s amazing just how quickly puppies learn and how slow we humans adapt to change.
5) When you’re happy, let the whole world know: Wag your tail, and your whole body for that matter, shout it from the roof tops and jump up and down with excitement. As you do, watch your happiness jump from face to face as it’s more contagious than anything else in the world.
 6) Live with gusto: Do everything in life being fully engaged with what’s in front of you. Eat like it’s your last meal and savour every mouthful, play with all your heart, and when someone gives you cuddles and kisses wriggle up to them and bask in the love they offer.
7) Show affection: There are people (and animals) all around you that just love you to bits. Begin to show them the affection they deserve and do it without reservation and without any attached expectations. Just love for the sake of loving.
8) Exercise often: It’s easy in our busy lives to forget how we were as youngsters and how much fun we had just running about. Tali loves to play and she gets a great amount of exercise just playing. Find something energetic that you love doing and stop calling it exercise and start calling it fun!
 9) Relax: Recognise when you need to rest and sleep, and make it happen. When Tali’s tired you have about 33 seconds before she’s flat out asleep. When she rests, she rests. She doesn’t think about her share portfolio, the kid’s tennis game, or lunch with the family tomorrow. Rest and Relaxation is essential for proper growth and development of humans and puppies! (As I’m typing I can hear Tali snore, bless her!)
If you have children or animals I suggest you take a little time just noticing their behaviour, there is so much we can learn from the instinctual patterns about how to live a balanced and fulfilled life.
If you like these columns and would like to check out the workshops on offer this year, head to http://advancedcoachingsolutions.com.au/Events%20Calendar.htm
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If you’re really ready to step up and start living life and need a little assistance to get started, please give me a call on 4296 9331 or email me and we can work on it together. If you like what I’m writing or would like to give me some feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me an email at jodie@advancedcoachingsolutions.com.au
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LIke your article - innovative concept to get people to think about life - like a puppy. BTW, I love dogs too!
by Donna Bowell
10 Feb 09 16:41