People always say that with age comes wisdom. November marks Adopt a Senior Pet Month, an initiative celebrated by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Petfinder.com. Below, you will find links to articles about Senior dogs, their healthcare, and tips to make the aging process as graceful as possible.
A “holiday” like this naturally makes me think of Daddy. He had a calling in life and he served his life’s purpose, helping me bring balance to countless dogs and being my right hand man through so many highs and lows.
Sometimes people refuse their calling in life for different reasons. Professional or family concerns, religion, and society can play a role. If I had said many years ago that my mission or calling was to be a teacher, it would be considered conceited in my culture. But I’ve gotten over that stigma and can humbly say that I believe that is my calling -- to be a teacher. Just like Daddy was. It brings me freedom and so much joy to feel the depth of that call. I knew that I was good with dogs, but in my culture, there are no “teachers” without degrees, so to say that I wanted to be or was a teacher would have been scrutinized. I didn’t want the disrespect, so I did what the dogs do and earned it through experience because I realized that not honoring that intuition was disrespecting myself!
Now I am living more like the dogs, the greatest teachers I’ve ever had, by living instinctually; mindfully aware and emotionally in tune. I am also working on mastering the art of living with uncertainty. By embracing uncertainty, I can nurture the state of mind I’m in and be open to learning more and teaching more. It’s growth. In the past, I used to run away from uncertainty and now I walk right into it with confidence that no matter what happens, I am ready. Those are the greatest lessons that Daddy taught me, particularly in his Senior years. He reminded me of the fundamentals of relationships every day. I had his trust, respect, and loyalty, and he had mine. To me, that is love at the highest level
Cesar Millan
A “holiday” like this naturally makes me think of Daddy. He had a calling in life and he served his life’s purpose, helping me bring balance to countless dogs and being my right hand man through so many highs and lows.
Sometimes people refuse their calling in life for different reasons. Professional or family concerns, religion, and society can play a role. If I had said many years ago that my mission or calling was to be a teacher, it would be considered conceited in my culture. But I’ve gotten over that stigma and can humbly say that I believe that is my calling -- to be a teacher. Just like Daddy was. It brings me freedom and so much joy to feel the depth of that call. I knew that I was good with dogs, but in my culture, there are no “teachers” without degrees, so to say that I wanted to be or was a teacher would have been scrutinized. I didn’t want the disrespect, so I did what the dogs do and earned it through experience because I realized that not honoring that intuition was disrespecting myself!
Now I am living more like the dogs, the greatest teachers I’ve ever had, by living instinctually; mindfully aware and emotionally in tune. I am also working on mastering the art of living with uncertainty. By embracing uncertainty, I can nurture the state of mind I’m in and be open to learning more and teaching more. It’s growth. In the past, I used to run away from uncertainty and now I walk right into it with confidence that no matter what happens, I am ready. Those are the greatest lessons that Daddy taught me, particularly in his Senior years. He reminded me of the fundamentals of relationships every day. I had his trust, respect, and loyalty, and he had mine. To me, that is love at the highest level
Cesar Millan