#dog joy

But what happens when there are three dogs?

Option 1, one dog gets left out, is unacceptable.

Option 1a, the left-out dog has to play with Mom, is even worse.

Option 2, the third dog hassles the other two and badgers them into giving up their game, ends up making everyone miserable.

Enterprising dogs come up with Option 3, a solution that is better in so many ways.

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Option 3 is three-way tug. All three dogs get to engage, play, tug on the rope. No one wins. No one loses. No one is left out. Instead of tug being a zero-sum game, tug becomes an enjoyable, collaborative activity. The goal is having fun. And the more fun each dog has, the more fun they all have. Everyone wins. But Mom/auntie gets left out.

Actually, that is not true either. Mom gets to sit on the sidelines and take photos and enjoy the dogs enjoying themselves.

Truly, everyone wins.

So, what did I learn from watching Cali and her cousins invent and play three-way tug?

There are many ways to solve a problem.

It’s possible to find a solution that benefits everyone.

Collaboration is rewarding and, in some cases, a lot of fun.

Rather than sulking over being left out or bullying your friends, it’s possible to change the dynamic to something more positive.

Having fun until you’re too tired to stand, then taking a nice nap, is a better way to spend the afternoon than arguing or feeling resentful.

Dogs are smarter than people.

OK, I already knew that last one.

Dogs are great problem-solvers. They live in the moment and want to be part of whatever fun thing is happening. Maybe the solution was obvious; it didn’t take long for these three doggy friends to come up with it.

But if it’s so obvious, how come none of us ever thought of three-way tug?

On the fourth night of Hanukkah, Cali got her wish: Snow. Fluffy, white, untouched-by-dog-paws snow. It started snowing in the afternoon, and she got a little taste of it on our afternoon walk, but not much had accumulated. I went out to a dinner party and got home a little after 9. I put on my boots, put Cali on her leash, and gave her the best present of her life. We walked a bit, then I just…

Husband Surprises His Wife With Flowers — For Their Dog

There are lots of little ways of showing those cherished people in our lives how much we truly care — like by surprising them with a beautiful bouquet of fresh-cut flowers. But for Debbie Cardone, whose husband had one such floral arrangement delivered to the house this week, it came as a different sort of surprise.

"I thought they were for me at first, and then I read the card," Cardone tells The Dodo. Her name wasn't written anywhere. Turns out, they were for her husband's other sweetheart — the couple's lovable bulldog, Sebastian.

The pampered pup clearly appreciated the gesture, too. As Cardone explains, poor Sebastian hasn't been feeling himself lately as he continues to recuperate from a recent surgery.

"He had both knees operated on almost two weeks ago, and my husband works over in the Middle East, so he sent him flowers," she says. "He has about an eight-week recovery." With the flowers were some sweet words of encouragement.

While Cardone certainly wasn't expecting that the flowers her husband sent would be for Sebastian, not her, she does admit she was warmed by the gesture, too. Well, as much as you might expect.

"I laughed," Cardone says. "I was having a bad day, so I just chalked it up to the continuation of my day. It was very cute though." Very cute indeed.