Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Unleash Your Inner Animal, Part 1

Having Trouble Finding Your Path in Life?
: Let Your Inner Guide-dog Lead the Way


You know, I’m not at all sure what I want to do after I graduate …”
I’ve heard this often in the past few weeks, always from a student slouched down in the side chair on the other side of my desk. Usually, it's accompanied by a look of sheer misery.

SMILE! Help is at hand.

I have the seeds of an answer, thanks to a random email blast from my sister. She asked me the timeless question, "What kind of dog are you?"

Don’t yap back at me as though this is some kind silly off-color joke. I mean, really – what breed are you?

This turns out to be an important question, because almost nobody below the age of sixty can look at his or her image in the mirror and see, with any clarity, what kind of person looks back. That said, any one of us can watch a dog in action and see instantly the personality traits that make a dog of that breed perfectly adapted to what it was what born to do. Human have spent more than ten thousand years carefully engineering wolf genetics to produce more than 200 unique breeds, each crafted to exalt some traits and submerge others, making it perfectly fit for one particular job in one particular kind of place.



For example, America’s most popular breed, the Labrador Retriever, was made to be imperturbable under gunfire, strong enough to withstand icy waters and riptides, and loyal enough to fetch a duck without eating it first.
In contrast, the Pekingese was bred to warm the silk slippered toes and loose-sleeved arms of the Chinese royal family. As such, it is small and sturdy, hairy and warm - and able to lie motionless for hours at a time.









Just look at the difference to see how perfectly crafted each breed is for its job and environment!

So what are YOU made for? Take the Dogster quiz and discover you inner canine: href="http://www.dogster.com/quizzes/what_dog_breed_are_you/quiztaker/456751">http://www.dogster.com/quizzes/what_dog_breed_are_you/quiztaker/456751






Can you guess what I was?






Okay, since I’m a breed with little patience, Ill tell you. A Jack Russell Terrier. Just like my good buddy from the MuchLove Animal Rescue, Luke Duke:








There was a time in my life when I would have utterly rejected the idea, insisting that I must be one of the “nice” breeds like the always lovable Cocker. Not so – I have serious “Jack” genes. If I don’t have enough useful work to do, I’ll dig until I find it. Have you noticed how I track you down? I'm not good at routine and I don’t run in a pack. That said, I’ll defend my clan to the death. All you SPP Waves are my family and you know you can always count on me.




To understand the Jack in action, check out this hilarious, and hugely popular, YouTube video of Jesse the Jack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Fyey4D5hg.

















Thankfully, not everyone is a Jack. When my husband took the quiz, he sat up sputtering: “I am not!”




“What aren't you?” I inquired, my head cocked like a curious Jack.



“I am not a poodle!”



“Sure, you are, Sweetie,” I replied with equanimity, “A Standard Poodle.”



And he is. Highly intelligent – almost to a fault, a very quick study, witty and outgoing, but a bit aloof with strangers. He has a huge heart and he always opens our home to strangers in need, yet he will defend it against intruders without a hockey stick.


Like the poodle in its origin – pudle, or water dog, in Germany - , he’s a fearless and powerful athlete on the water, excelling at two Olympic sports. And, like the poodle, he wears his hair a little long and, maybe, he's a little vain, but he’s so lovable, that like the poodle, any faults are easy to overlook. Oh, and did I mention he doesn’t shed?


Is it any surprise that my husband did well as an Intelligence officer in the US Navy, but after a few years, chose to leave for a more liberating environment where he could stretch his legs, and his influence. Today, he’s a finance executive for a successful, mid-sized non-profit.



So, tell me, who are you? Take the quiz and let me know what it says. If you don't, my inner terrier will hunt you down until we find out. You can shoot me an email if you want to keep it quiet, but it's more fun for everyone if you leave it as a comment.




I guarantee that you’ll find some aspect of your inner self that will give you strong hints at the kind of job you really should be doing after you graduate. And, what you should not.



Happy Holiday!

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