Don’t Roll In Dog Poop!

Did you ever see a dog covered and smeared in dog poop? Well, take a closer look at that picture. This pup is supposed to be all light blonde.

Each summer, Georgie gets a summer shave. But this time, after her shave, she was a little itchy. Shortly after getting home, before we had a chance to brush and rinse off any small hair clippings, she itched herself by rubbing up against the grass in the corner of the yard….

The corner of the yard where the dogs go to the bathroom. It gets cleaned up on Saturdays. This was Friday.

When we called her in, she happily came bounding into the house smeared in smelly dog poop. It was disgusting. She had smashed and smeared it everywhere – her snout, her head, her belly, her back…ugghhhh. I don’t think she intentionally smeared dog poop. She was just trying to scratch the itch and get relief.

Do you know how gross it is to clean a small bit of poop off the bottom of a shoe? Imagine it smashed in dog hair. Her collar was caked in it. Chunks were in her ears. It was awful and gag worthy… the smell was hideous.

And you know what? Poop doesn’t wash out well with garden hose temperature water. It just smears more. We had to keep bringing warm water out of the house, scrub her down with soapy water, rinse with the hose, and jump every time she would try to shake it all off. Ewww, it was so disgusting!

It took a long time to get her cleaned up…and the front rug… and the driveway… and then ourselves.

Oh Georgie! My Friday morning was derailed. The grass scratching relieved her itching for the moment, but it created a host of problems for the one’s she loves.

Hmmm…. I wonder how often we are like that – to get relief we do something without realizing it makes things worse for others around us, and ultimately us too.

Have you ever done something to get short-term relief, but it creates or feeds a long-term problem? You opt for the quick solution without thinking about the long-term impact.

Think about the choices you are making today. Is there something that brings you short term gain – but might make life more complicated for you or for those you love?

There are habits, behaviors, and choices that we keep doing that amount to rolling in dog poop. While it might have some gain in this moment, it truly isn’t in our best interests for the long-term. It might bring us some relief, help us to get something done, or get others to move, but it might actually be a detriment to our long-term goals.

Barking out orders and criticizing the team might get people to comply, but it doesn’t build loyalty. Alcohol, drugs or other vices might bring temporary relief from emotional pain, but it doesn’t bring hope or change for the future. Fighting all your kids battles for them might get immediate results, but it doesn’t teach your child autonomy and self-governance. Doing everything to please others might make you feel better but it doesn’t help you live out your purpose.

Think twice about the actions you take today.

Be careful you aren’t rolling in dog poop! It stinks!