When it comes to my dogs, I’m a worrywart. The problem is that many dogs are just dopey. My dogs are definitely dopey. They do things like walk into shrubs or bonk their heads on the table. (Fortunately, they are also resilient.)
It’s kind of like having a bunch of little kids around. You worry that they’ll do something really dumb and hurt themselves. For example, I’m always on the lookout for trees on our trails that have pokey branches sticking out at dog level. When the canines are running through the trails chasing each other, sometimes they don’t really pay attention where they are going. I want to tell them to "watch out, you’ll poke your eye out" just like some overprotective parent. Visions of large vet bills dance in my head.
But the reality is that you have to let go and allow your dog to be a dog. I do worry, but I also let my dogs run on our trails and play with each other vigorously on their daily outing. I’m hoping they’ll have the same good luck as all those middle-aged men I know who drove their mother’s insane back when they used to be little hellions.
If those guys can survive their childhoods, I figure my dogs will probably be fine.