How dogs taught me what it means to be an Iowan

This entry is brought to you by the manager of Bark Place, the number 3, and the letter L. I will be posting on here from time to time, giving updates on what has been happening at Bark Place, fun stories about the dogs, and just general tidbits of information that you may find interesting. However, since this is the first post from Bark Place, we are going to shake things up a bit. This entry is titled “How dogs taught me what it means to be an Iowan.”

As some of you may know, I am not a native Iowan. I had a brief affair with Iowa while I was attending Drake University, but as anyone that went to Drake will tell you, when you are student at Drake you tend to exist in a little “bulldog bubble”, so by all intents and purposes, it doesn’t count. I moved to New York City after graduation, and was there until about 6 weeks ago when I got a call that would turn my world upside down….both literally and figuratively.

I knew that moving from the “concrete jungle” to the “field of dreams” would be a bit of a change, but I never realized how different it would be until I started observing how my dog, Max, was reacting to the move and all of the changes we were encountering. This all came to a head about 3 hours into my drive from New York to Des Moines. We had stopped at a rest station somewhere in Pennsylvania because Max was telling me in a not so subtle way that he needed to “take a break.” For the record, I do not recommend driving through the Pocono Mountains with a Dachshund that has to go to the bathroom jumping up and down on your lap. Anyway, we get to the rest area and go to the “pet exercise” space. Much to my surprise, Max wouldn’t go. So, I gave him his cue to go (if anyone is curious, his command to go is “do work”). Still nothing. It wasn’t until Max pulled me back onto the concrete of the parking lot that I realized what was going on. Max had never gone to the bathroom on grass. He was a city dog, and “doing work” on concrete was all he knew. It was at that point that I realized I was going to learn a lot more from him than he was going to learn from me. I was only looking at the big picture differences (driving to work instead of taking the subway, actually feeling safe in public places, having a backyard, etc.). Max was teaching me that the small differences are often the most important.

I have now been an Iowan for the better part of 6 weeks, and I am still learning how different my life is. Not just from Max, but from all of the dogs I have come in contact with. I kind of hit the ground running once I got to Des Moines, so I really have not gotten a chance to meet many folks in the area. But that does not mean that I am not learning what it means to be an Iowan. In my years of studying dog behavior, I have become a firm believer that a dog’s behavior is a direct reflection of their environment and not their breed. With that in mind, I would like to share some of the things that the dogs of Bark Place have taught me about what it means to be an Iowan, and how different it really is from being a New Yorker.

-Iowans listen. They do not just wait for you to finish speaking so they can say/bark their opinion. This is not the case out east.

-Iowans know how to share. I was running doggie daycares in New York before coming here, and in my wildest dreams I could have never imagined having toys or equipment for the dogs to play on in the play area. The dogs of Iowa have taught me otherwise. We have had so many games of catch with groups of dogs going after the same ball that if it keeps up like this my throwing arm will be ready for its Iowa Cubs debut before long.

-Iowans know how to sit. Try being 5’8” and sitting in the cheap seats at Shea Stadium (GO METS!!) and then tell me that New Yorkers know how to sit. They don’t.

-Iowans are housebroken. Snicker if you will, but I defy you to stand on a subway platform in late July, inhale deeply through your nose, and tell me that New Yorkers are housebroken. They aren’t.

-Iowans have an abundance of love to give. And although the folks at match.com tried to convince that New Yorkers also have an abundance of love to give…they don’t.

-Iowans are not afraid to give a sloppy kiss…..and we will leave well enough alone on this one J

-Iowans do not profile. Going back to my experiences running daycares out east, I again could have never imagined having a room full of dogs of all shapes and sizes playing together in harmony. Feel free to insert your favorite Neil Young quote here.

-Iowans are not afraid to get a little dirt under their nails. I will happily bathe your dog at the end of a daycare day if it means that they get to have a little time outside in the grass. The dogs out east (as shown by Max), have no idea what it means to frolic in field, or backyard, or even be outside while not on a leash. Now granted, Max and I would take frequent trips to Central Park, but he was so interested in barking at the horse drawn carriages I don’t think he ever even realized he was outside. If you want pure comedy, put a 12 pound Dachshund within viewing distance of a Clydesdale and let the fun begin. And hang on tight to your leash!!

-And most importantly of all, Iowans are just plain nice. This is something that I have been able to see not just from your dogs, but from the people that I have had the pleasure to meet so far. The support and encouragement Bark Place has gotten not only from the ARL, but from the city of Des Moines itself has been so overwhelming and humbling that I cannot even begin to put it into words. All I can say is “thank you.” Thank you for restoring my belief that people can be nice without having a hidden agenda. Thank you for reminding me that dogs are part of a family, and not just an accessory. Thank you for showing me that there is such a thing as being truly selfless (ARL volunteers, I am looking at you!) And finally, I would like to thank all of you that have trusted us with the care of your dog so far. Believe me, it is not a trust we will ever take for granted. If you haven’t gotten a chance to stop by and see us yet, please do (3601 104th street in Urbandale). Not only so you can see the space and the faces of happy and healthy dogs, but so I can meet more of you and continue my quest to learn what it means to be an Iowan.

~RS