This afternoon I was sitting in the backyard, sunning the cat (yes, she insists) and reading a terrific book called Follow My Lead.
It’s a good book with some great passages. For example, page 71: “Growing up in a suburb of Boston, we always played outside when it was raining, and I wondered when exactly I had stopped playing in the rain?”
Hmmm … play.
(Yes please!)
How often do we engage in spontaneous play, the human equivalent of frapping? Left to our own devices, I’d guess the answer is “not nearly enough”.
We get so SERIOUS about life. (Or is that just me?)
When we do play, we might find ourselves too earnest about it. (“Play to win!”) Or the word is used in a negative way. (“Quit playing around and get serious!”)
When did playing become optional, or worse, an afterthought?
I’ve got a friend who moved recently from Wisconsin to North Carolina. As she’s put down fresh roots in Southern soil, this friend has added two more dogs to her resident pack (one of whom just came along and never left. Which is fine, because he’s a goofy, delicious Big Love Dog).
They live near deep forests and a marvelous river made for splashing in. The dogs love it, and so does she. Together they play. Often. In the water and the woods. I can’t tell you how much fun it is just to hear about it, and not just because my friend is effortlessly droll and funny.
So … how does your Corgi keep you playing?
For most dogs, playing is as natural as eating and sleeping. They don’t have to fit it into their schedules, plan play dates (that’s your job) or worry about whether it’s appropriate behavior to play in public. Can you imagine a dog saying “I can’t do that, somebody might look at me funny!”
Uh, no. Especially not a Corgi.
In all the stories I’ve run here on the blog, there is one consistently clear theme: Corgis bring a whole lot of play (among other important things) into peoples’ lives. They don’t just invite play, they demand it. They’re nearly as smart (or smarter) than you, and that means you’d better be ready to join in on their fun.
I want to hear how your Corgi gets and keeps you playing, and how that makes your life better. I’m sure a whole book could be written (probably already has been) on the subject, but I want to hear from you …
… so let’s get interactive!
Tell me all about it in the comments section, or on the facebook page.
It might just show up in a future post.
Thanks!
Laurie
p.s. The gorgeous Corgis in the photos are Scotty and Alice, Australian low-riders and Dogs of the Day back on March 4th.
I work full time in the city and try to maintain a horsey life outside of work. My day begins at 6am. I get off the train at 6pm and, to be honest, I'm usually exhausted. But my little sausage of a Corgi always greets me with her wiggling stub and waits by the door because she knows we're going to the barn. She's a very independent Corgi with a mind of her own (but I guess that's why we love them so much!) but at the barn she's my shadow. She will run around the ring at my horse's heels and when she gets too tired to keep up, she waits in the middle of the ring and will run to us when we slow down to a walk. I absolutely love the horses but at the end of a long day, sometimes it can be hard to get motivated to go shovel manure. My Maggie's eager face and big satellite ears staring at me are all it takes to get me going. =)
When Griffin, my 9yo red & white PWC, wants to play with his ball inside he will look at me and bark constantly until he gets his way. If I am ready to play outside and throw a stick for him, all I have to do is say "STICK" and he gets so excited with non-stop barking he begins to cry-bark!
Griffin's Mom in New Hampshire.
Natalie, I can just imagine how great that is to come home everyday. Horses and Corgi … happiness!
Anne,
So what you're saying is Griffin is single-minded, persistent and pretty much irresistible?
YUP, sounds Corgi to me!
🙂 Laurie
we are all for a good ..play!
Benny & Lily
Well, Dewi's taught me an entirely new appreciation for fetch, and as long as there's a rope in the house, we are NEVER bored. 🙂 (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
You are so right about humans not playing enough! Great post! Please write more stuff like this. 🙂
Of course Noodles will always drop his rings on my feet when he wants to play tug-o-war. Even if I play a bit and then throw them for a game of fetch, if that isn't what he wants to do, then he will go get them and drop them on my feet again until we play tug-o-war. I think one of the greatest things is if I'm down on the ground (fair game for corgi kisses), he will climb on top of me and start kissing me over and over. I start laughing and his little bunny butt never stops shaking and then he thinks it is a game when I start to cover my ears. After that, he hops around me and tries to get at my ears while I'm laughing. Ahhh…a good time is had by all.
Piper will get a ball and drop it on my feet. Look at the ball, look at me, look at the ball, nudge the ball, look at me, look at the ball, nudge, look, look, nudge… She especially likes to do that when the ball is gross and slimy!
It's what makes it all worth it =)