Lessons Learned

This morning, Guinness and I met new friends at doggie park! When we arrived a woman was there with her dog on leash -- tugging hard to get away from her. I called to her asking, "Does your dog like to play?" She made hand motions I didn't understand, and we moved closer. Then I realized she is deaf AND her dog too! I made the love sign and spoke, "Guinness loves everyone!" By this time, Holly, our Golden friend had arrived too. The woman had no voice, but can speak a bit in whispers. Thanks to Karin, I know the sign for "play." She managed to make me understand, when she lets her dog off leash, she cannot call him to come back. But she did let him off, and the three dogs had great fun running!

Then Holly's Dad pointed to Guinness running off to the other side of the field where a woman had arrived with 2 border collie-type dogs. He said, "She isn't friendly." So I ran after Guinness. No point in calling him, as he would not listen. I have seen her before; Guinness has run to her before, and she stands still with her dogs barking viciously while I corral Guinness. Today, by the time I got there, Guinness was just wandering near them, because he understood that the dogs did not want to play, and her dogs were being placid as they understood Guinness was not going to bother them. I apologized to her, explaining that Guinness loves everyone and knows when he is not wanted. She told me that her one dog is a rescue and is in constant pain from a leg which was broken and not fixed properly, and her other dog is very protective of his brother. We walked together chatting. I told her that I was so glad to have met her, because I thought she was annoyed with us for having our dogs off leash. She said she was not bothered by that at all.

As Will Rogers said, "I never met a man I didn't like." Once you get to know someone and learn the path they walk, you understand their behavior.

I wish I knew more sign language!