“Personalities – Can’t we all just get along?”

August 27, 2010

Some times we run into situations that abruptly remind us how different people have different perceptions due to different personalities.  We have to step back and reevaluate how best to communicate with this person and her personality. Whether you subscribe to the fact that we come by our personalities through nurture, nature, or a combination of both, personalities are formed, we all have them and we are all different. The same can be said for our pets.

Our pets – like people – have different personalities. Pet Peeps know this.  And Pet Peeps with multiple pets are reminded of this every day.

My older dogs, Chewie and Miles, have been with me for a long time.  Especially Chewie.  Chewie has mellowed out with age.  Even my great friend, Greg (Uncle Greggie) has mentioned it. And Miles, he is ancient!  So when I get the rare chance to sleep in, Chewie and Miles are curled up in their little cushions right next to my bed. But not Jack! The two year old Pomeranian sees things differently…

Chewie and Miles: “ZZZZZZZZ, ZZZZZZZ, ZZ, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…”

Jack:  “Mom! Get up! Get Up! GET UP! Come on!  I wanna play! Mom! Mom!  Let’s go!!”

When anyone walks in our door and the barking subsides…

Miles, indifferently: “Oh, it’s you.  Come in if you must.”

Chewie, politely: “Hello, there.  Please come in.”

Jack, hysterically:  OMG, OMG! You’re here!  I haven’t seen you in decades! OMG! Pleeeease reach down and pet me!  OMG! OMG! See me!  See me!  Pet me! OMG!”

When it thunders and lightenings…

Chewie: “Yikes, Mommie help me!  I’m scared!”

Miles:  “How dare that noise wake me up!  Where is it?! Let me at ‘em!”

Jack:  “What the heck are those two so worked up about?”

When the Fed Ex Truck stops or Mike rides in on his Dixie Chopper…

Chewie:  “Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!”

Jack:  “Oh, No! Oh, No! Oh, No! Big Noisy Thing! Oh, no! Oh, no!”

Miles: “Let me at ‘em! Let me at ‘em! I’ll take care of this!”

But shake the vitamin bottle or treat bag and all three dogs come running. The tough old man, the angel princess and the Energizer Pomeranian all sit silently at my feet looking up at me expectantly.

Even the most diverse personalities can find common ground…

Old Dogs and New Tricks

January 11, 2010

Miles is supposedly a 2006 model…right. We tell people that he is about 150 years old, mostly blind, with four teeth left but the courage of a lion and heart of puppy. He will still run off the FedEx truck that dares down our cul de sac. He shoots off after it if it passes our place when he is outside and as long as it moves on down the road, he will let it go, scratch the ground with his hind legs and trot back to me with his tail waving and head held high! (You can imagine my alarm – “he wouldn’t do that – he’s too old…” Surprise! That was the first and last time. On the ready now!)

Miles is an OOOLD dog. And you know what they say about Old Dogs and New Tricks, right? Can an ancient old Florida dog with thin blood be transported to snow country and be expected to survvive – let alone thrive? It can be tough enough for the strongest of constitutions to go from sunny hot days to the cloudy freezing temps. The extra time necessary to apply layers of protective clothing to venture outside is enough to make a person really contemplate if running out to do that errand is really so important. Many decide to just forget it and stay inside. This can lead to many more days of giving up and just staying inside… or giving up and staying on the porch instead of getting out and running with the big dogs.

How can we assure old dogs (including ourselves) will continue to strive and thrive? It’s simple. Why would anyone that lives in tropical beautiful Delray Beach take an extended vacation in freezing Indianapolis during the winter months? Same reason. The mission – a purpose – a reason to do what we do – a reason to get out of bed – to venture out into life. We all need our “Missions.”

So what about poor Miles? What might become of him when he can only tolerate 60 degrees as his freezing point and patrolling the world from the patio or open doorway is not an option? What will become of him? Well, Miles has taken on a new mission…He has claimed the bay window next to my office desk…Watch out FedEx Truck!

So what is your Mission? I’d love to hear about it!

Make it a Rockin’ 2010!

Cheers to YOUR SuCCess!!

Janus

Janus Moncur CPC – The Co-Creative Coach™