What I’ve Learned from Gizmo

Gizmo is my dog. My parents got him for me the Christmas after I graduated college. At the time, I was living with them, and I missed my old dog, but I wasn’t really thrilled to be getting another one. However, he has been a great companion to me when I was single. Now that I am married and have kids, he gets neglected. He used to sleep with me, then us, now on the floor. After having him for almost 9 years, he has taught me something. He has a great deal of separation anxiety, so in the past I have lied when I was going to put him up, telling him different things to get him to come to me. See, he’s never been all that obedient when he’s terrified that I’m about to go somewhere. But after all these years, I’ve discovered that he knows when I’m lying, if only a white lie to get him to come to me. He hears the tone in my voice slightly change even though I think I sound the same. He knows all of my hidden emotions that I portray in the sound of my voice – fear, need, frustration, sadness, happiness, etc. So now when I’m going to leave him, I just tell him the truth and wait for him to submit to me. And it works.