Tug of War

 I remember we always played tug of war, three legged races, egg and spoon races at Sunday School picnics.
But I hate tug of war now. Every morning I take Thomas, my nine month old black Labrador for a walk we end up having a tug of war. It is no game, I can assure you. What should be an enjoyable outing, listening to the singing of the birds and pleasant exercise for us both, has become a battle of the wills.


Thomas is in a hurry and wants to get going. I am trying to teach him to walk at a pace that I find comfortable and also a pace that a visually impaired person would be able to handle. Thomas also wants to say hello to every dog he meets and although this is a natural instinct for a dog, it is something that a potential guide dog just cannot do. He has to learn to stay focused on me, the handler. So he tugs one way and I tug the other. Will he ever learn? I don't know. I just have to keep trying to help him overcome his instincts.


People think that man is a dogs best friend. Well that is entirely wrong. A dog is a dogs best friend. I'm sure that given the choice a dog would choose another dog as a mate any day. Many Service dogs have learned to overcome their natural instincts and do amazing things, so I keep on doing what I am doing and in the end it is up to Thomas what he chooses to do.


Thomas and I are in a power struggle at the moment, which made me think of other power struggles in our lives. Many children have a power struggle with their parents and while this too is natural, as the child struggles to become independent and adult, it can be a painful tug of war if not handled wisely. The other tugs of war in households are between husbands and wives. I guess when you put two independent vastly different people together there is bound to be some tug of warring going on.


The same principle apply to human relationships and any animals. We need to handle them with  wisdom, patience, love,respect, and justice to overcome our power struggles and live in harmony with one another.