Eric Handler’s beloved dog, Stella, who passed away a few years ago.
Photo via positivelypositive.com
The co-founder of an organization called Positively Positive, Eric Handler, has written a lovely blog post dedicated to his late dog, Stella. It features a list called “Ten Things Your Dog Would Tell You,” which has been making the rounds on the Internet of late. Here are the first few:
1. My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years. Any separation from you will be painful: remember that before you get me.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me—it is crucial to my wellbeing.
4. Do not be angry at me for long, and do not lock me up as punishment.
A little Googling reveals that the list was originally written in 1993 by an English dog trainer named Stan Rawlinson, who called it “The 10 Commandments From a Pet’s Point of View.” You’ll see that the wording of the list has changed somewhat over time and as folks have copied it, but the sentiments remain as true as ever. It’s a good reminder of why we have dogs in the first place.
