Every dog, just like every human, has its own little quirks that make him/her endearing and special. Rocky is no different.
From the day that I brought him home at age 7 weeks, I’ve been totally amazed and flabbergasted at some of the things he does. I have allowed him to sleep on the bed with me since day one, and since at seven weeks he was too tiny to jump on the bed, I slept on the sofa so he wouldn’t get hurt jumping off if he needed a drink or had to use the training pad while I slept. The very first morning after bringing him home, I woke to being smothered. Yep, he’s an alpha! He was laying right on top of my face covering my nose and mouth so I couldn’t breathe.
It’s hard to tell that a puppy that young is growing, especially when you’re around them every day. The day I realized he had grown was the day he had his back legs resting on the couch, front legs and paws on the floor and he was resting his chin on the coffee table. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a photo of that because as soon as I reached for my phone, he moved. His curiosity about what I was doing wouldn’t let him let me get that great shot!
Then, I started taking him places with me– to the grocery store, the dog park, the library. And, his first trip to the vet. He enjoyed the excursions each and every single time, and because he had fun, he would become super excited when he knew where we were heading! He begins to pace, quiver, jump towards the windshield, and has managed to learn how to turn on my hazard lights. I’ve learned to watch and as soon as he turns them on, I’m reaching up to turn them off. We’ve fought over the window being open/closed when it’s cold outside. He will stand on my lap, with his front paws on the door panel and move my side view mirrors– both passenger and driver’s sides! How he manages to switch the lever is beyond me.
I’ve gotten accustomed to the funny looks I see when coming out of a store to get back in the car. Why am I getting these looks? Because people are amused to see Rocky sitting in the driver’s seat, looking straight ahead as if he’s going to drive and is patiently waiting for me to get in. I even had someone ask me if he did this by himself or if he’d been taught. What it was was that while Rocky was sitting in the driver’s seat, he looked in the rear view and side view mirrors, like he was looking to make sure no one was behind him so he could safely back up!
Here lately, though, he’s doing something a little bit even strange for a dog. While I’m driving, he will climb onto the console to sit by me. And then I feel a pressure on my driving leg, where he’s placed his paw. He’s trying to help me make the car go faster! One time, he was so impatient that he picked his leg up and put it down two or three times, as if to say, “We’re not going fast enough! Can’t you make this thing go any faster?”
We’ve gotten into a daily routine where first thing in the morning, as my body is saying that it’s time to get up and Rocky senses this, he comes over and starts licking my hands or face. This morning, along with waking me up with good morning kisses, I woke up to having a nearly 70 lb. dog crushing my chest! I should have gotten a Pomeranian….. they don’t weigh nearly as much.
—
The Good Men Project is different from most media companies. We are a “participatory media company”—which means we don’t just have content you read and share and comment on but it means we have multiple ways you can actively be a part of the conversation. As you become a deeper part of the conversation—The Conversation No One Else is Having—you will learn all of the ways we support our Writers’ Community—community FB groups, weekly conference calls, classes in writing, editing platform building and How to Create Social Change.
◊♦◊
Here are more ways to become a part of The Good Men Project community:
Request to join our private Facebook Group for Writers—it’s like our virtual newsroom where you connect with editors and other writers about issues and ideas.
Click here to become a Premium Member of The Good Men Project Community. Have access to these benefits:
- Get access to an exclusive “Members Only” Group on Facebook
- Join our Social Interest Groups—weekly calls about topics of interest in today’s world
- View the website with no ads
- Get free access to classes, workshops, and exclusive events
- Be invited to an exclusive weekly “Call with the Publisher” with other Premium Members
- Commenting badge.
Are you stuck on what to write? Sign up for our Writing Prompts emails, you’ll get ideas directly from our editors every Monday and Thursday. If you already have a final draft, then click below to send your post through our submission system.
If you are already working with an editor at GMP, please be sure to name that person. If you are not currently working with a GMP editor, one will be assigned to you.
◊♦◊
Are you a first-time contributor to The Good Men Project? Submit here:
◊♦◊
Have you contributed before and have a Submittable account? Use our Quick Submit link here:
◊♦◊
Do you have previously published work that you would like to syndicate on The Good Men Project? Click here:
Join our exclusive weekly “Call with the Publisher” — where community members are encouraged to discuss the issues of the week, get story ideas, meet other members and get known for their ideas? To get the call-in information, either join as a member or wait until you get a post published with us. Here are some examples of what we talk about on the calls.
Want to learn practical skills about how to be a better Writer, Editor or Platform Builder? Want to be a Rising Star in Media? Want to learn how to Create Social Change? We have classes in all of those areas.
While you’re at it, get connected with our social media:
- To join our Facebook Page, go here.
- To sign up for our email newsletter, go here.
- To follow The Good Men Project on Twitter, go here.
◊♦◊
However, you engage with The Good Men Project—you can help lead this conversation about the changing roles of men in the 21st century. Join us!
◊♦◊
We have pioneered the largest worldwide conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. Your support of our work is inspiring and invaluable.
The Good Men Project is an Amazon.com affiliate. If you shop via THIS LINK, we will get a small commission and you will be supporting our Mission while still getting the quality products you would have purchased, anyway! Thank you for your continued support!
—
Originally published on Linda Hansen’s blog. Republished with permission.
—
Photo Credit: Pixabay