Thursday, October 27, 2011

Real Life Tao - You Aren't What You Wear

About 6 months ago -- after our beloved Princess succumbed to cancer -- we went to the local Humane Society and adopted Lily. Our new little doggy is part dachshund and part xoloitzcuintle (Mexican Hairless). Having never had a hairless canine in the family before, we have spent a lot of time performing research on the internet.

One important thing that we've learned is that hairless dogs are impacted by extreme temperatures more so than other critters. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Fur acts as an insulator and this dog don't got no fur on over 90 percent of her body. (She has a little bit on the top of her head, around her muzzle, on her feet and the tip of her tail.)

When the weather turns cold, the experts recommend that you have doggy sweaters, pullovers, jammies and coats ready at hand. Well, the weather here has turned colder and so, particularly in the evening and night, we dress our doggy in her warm weather clothing.

We've purchased several used outfits and, yesterday, we went to a pet store near Astoria (Oregon) to buy her a new sweater. Last night we put it on her and, let me tell ya, she looks cute as a bug!

Yes, we are responsible pet owners. We're working diligently to ensure our little xolo doesn't get cold. There is only problem: She isn't cooperating!!

It seems like every time we get her dressed up in a piece of her apparel, within a few minutes or hours, we discover that she's naked as a jay bird! She invariably finds a way to wriggle out of it. Mind you, we're not dressing her up so she can look like a little foo-foo dog; we're trying to protect her from the elements.

What does she do when she's obviously cold? She finds a blanket or some of our dirty clothes and she burrows underneath them. She stays there until she is sufficiently warmed and then comes charging out to run around the house and yard like a banshee.

I'm certainly not suggesting we're going to throw away all of her dog clothes. When we get into the middle of winter, maybe she won't think a sweater or pjs are so bad. But we're learning that all the expert advice -- much of it good-intentioned -- isn't on the same path as she is.

This situation offers a good lesson to those of us who walk on two feet. External advice as to how to lead our lives often will miss the mark. By its very nature, this kind of advice is generic and each of us is unique. What may work for the average person may or may not suit us.

Each being plies its own path.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.

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