Things You Learn at Dog Shelters

I love dogs.

(A lot.)

And as much as I want a thousand some of my own, I'm nowhere near at a point in my life to care for another living thing. But being around animals makes me really happy, so I started volunteering at a local dog shelter every Sunday morning.

Fun and responsibility on your own schedule. 

And I've learned a few things:

1. You Don't Have to Feel Guilty Letting Others Do "Charlie Work" 

Charlie Work, if you haven't seen It's Always Sunny, is the work that you really, really don't want to do. If you could afford to, you'd pay someone else to do it.

My Charlie Work is cleaning, because I can think of nothing less interesting than picking things up and wiping things down. I specifically chose this shelter so I wouldn't have to clean, and could spend my time playing with the animals instead. But when I walked in the first day, cleaning is all I saw people doing. I felt guilty. Should I really only do the fun stuff? Should I take a share of the gruntwork?

As it turns out, no. Because by walking and playing with the dogs, I was doing someone else's Charlie Work. Some people are cleaning because they like it. They like to stay indoors. They'd rather clean.

Don't feel obligated to do things you think are grunt-work until you ask others if they enjoy doing it. You might be keeping yourself from a win-win situation.

2. Love and Respect Go a Long Way

The dogs I help are rescued, so many of them are nervous around people. Some dogs hide in their kennels, others refuse to walk, others cower away if you try to pet them or get too close. Some have scabs, some have limps, some have nervous tics like digging or running in circles. Once they see that you're safe, they trust you. They don't cower when you say "no" or "stop" if they try to cross the street in front of a car, no matter how stern your tone. They walk next to you. They come when you call. They lick your palm while you pet them. They wag their tails when you sing to them.

Show love. Show respect. And they will, too.

3. What Makes You Happy Makes You Resilient

It's a month into teaching, and this is usually the time I start to get exhausted from the stress.

(via easybeingreene)

But hanging out with the pups for a few hours a week actually makes the stress feel less awful. I have more energy. I don't dread the Charlie Work of my job (the grading, the meetings.) And It's not that I have less work--I have the same amount of work as I did this time last year. I still have two subjects to plan for every day. I'm still enrolled in my masters program. I'm still on my feet all day. I'm physically tired, often, but not mentally tired. It doesn't suck the energy out of me like it used to, because I'm doing something every week to bounce back.

And that's an amazing feeling.