Are you a Grumpy Dog?

Years ago, we had a Labrador Retriever named Abby. Abby was a great dog, full of energy and unconditional love. However, every once in a while, we would hear this growling and snuffling and yipping from another room. It was Abby, wiggling around on her back, belly up, making all that racket as if to say, “I am not a happy camper; Pay attention to me!” We affectionately called these antics her “Grumpy Dog” persona.

Abby was not a Grumpy Dog at heart. She just had these moments when she needed a little “extra”. I think we can all relate to this Grumpy Dog mentality some days.

  Often I hear people say, “I just want to be happy” followed by a wishful sigh.  Sitting with uncomfortable emotions doesn’t seem to be socially acceptable, but it’s an important process to learn. We tend to self soothe with substances, doom scrolling, or clicking the ‘add to cart’ button if we aren’t happy. We feel the need to make that “bad” feeling go away as soon as possible. In truth, anger, fear, disgust, surprise, happiness, and sadness are the basic human emotions that span all cultures. Yet we only want to experience happiness (and maybe surprise, if it involves a birthday cake).   

The other day, I thought of all the things that are going on in the world that bring me down. I was having my own Grumpy Dog moment, griping and complaining. Truth is, in the moment of sadness and plain old grumpiness, I recognized both my limits and my abilities.

When we feel distraught about things, sometimes we choose to bring attention to ourselves and like Abby make all sorts of noise with no purpose. We just want to be cranky, upset, and need to be heard. But if we actually sit with the hard emotions, when we get clear on what we really can do, when we define the outcome we really want, we can form a plan to make some small difference. Can I do anything about famine, wars, the economy? Not directly, no. However, there may be opportunities through volunteering, learning, or monetary donations that can focus attention of the things we want to see evolve, rather than lean into the despair.

The truth is, being a Grumpy Dog is okay sometimes. It can remind us what is missing from our days. It reminds us that we need to take care of our emotional needs. It tells those around us that we need support, understanding, and love. Someone is always willing to listen, either friend or family, a faith leader, or a professional. We can get back to that positive mind set and Grumpy Dog days don’t have to last forever.