“Peace begins with a smile”.
– Mother Teresa

What a peaceful day we had.

While running an errand with Kali by my side it was striking how many people spontaneously smiled when they saw her.  Walking up and down the aisles at Orchard Supply Hardware I couldn’t help but notice that whoever we passed would look at her and smile.  Sometimes they would say something like “what a pretty dog”, or “what a handsome owner she has”.  Wait.  Strike that last part about the “owner”.  Make no mistake;  all eyes were on Kali and not on Dad who out grew out his handsome stage (if there ever was one)years a go . Sometimes the people would just smile and continue on with their shopping seemingly happier for their brief encounter with Kali.  I was very proud of my pretty girl who was so well-behaved by my side, never pulling on her leash and willingly stopping and moving along as I shopped.

I mentioned in my last post that Kali is “in training”.   So yes, it helped to have a pocket full of training treats to keep her attention on me.  But that’s part of the process, conditioning, and training that will make her an even happier and confident dog.   Kali needs to know that when we go out and about she is safe, that I am her protector, and that no harm will come to her.  Kali has a very calm nervous system and other than when encountering her fellow canines, which we’re working on, she doesn’t get very distracted or stressed.

It all starts with a smile

So today was a big win for Kali who enriched the lives of  so many people in just a short amount of time.  There was the three-year old girl who was so fixated on Kali. I stopped and asked the mom if her daughter would like to pet her but the little girl was a little scared so we moved on.   A few minutes later I came across them again and the mom said her  daughter was ready to pet Kali.  Kali was more than happy to accommodate the request and the little girl was thrilled and so was her mom, a deaf women who signed “thank you” to me.  There was the elderly gentleman in a wheel chair who was on oxygen and commented how much he loved dogs.  Kali and I paused in the aisle next to him, he patted her head and said, “goldens are the best”.   And then there was  the young lady who worked as a checker who greeted Kali while we were in line to check out.  She petted Kali and Kali almost immediately laid down on the checker’s feet, shared a doggie smile, and took in the love.  At that moment in time the checker was at peace.

Therefore, Give peace a chance. Peace be with you.  Peace and love.  Peaceful Easy Feeling.  Peace Train.

As Mother Teresa said, peace begins with a smile.  And so it did today for me, my pretty girl, and many of those who encountered a beautiful golden retriever named Kali.

Peace out.