Do you remember when you were just a puppy, or some other species of young animal; say a 2 or 3  year old toddler.  If you don't remember those days, watch a few puppies as they play together; and witness their enthusiasm and excitement as they make a game out of commonplace everyday situations.  Watch the 2 and 3 year old children employ imagination. and find fascination in their discovery of new words and ideas. They wonder a lot, say "why?" a lot, are curious, inquisitive, rambunctious and admittedly sometimes destructive.  What they don't know, they make up for in enthusiasm. Many dogs keep this energy and engagement with their environment up for many years.  Your dog still gets excited if you mention "walk" or "ball".  Put the same old food in the bowl that she's had for the last ten years and she'll often act as if she's sitting down to a medium rare porterhouse right off the grill. A dog gets up from a night's sleep, and it seems like she's starting life all over again in a brand new world. She still bounds to the door when you come home and greets you with ....with.....with ENTHUSIASM!  Humans, it seems, lose their openness and engagement with the world as they grow older.  They seem to suffer from curbed enthusiasm.  We dogs are concerned.  In the absence of other dogs, we're dependent on your vitality and playfulness for our exercise and enjoyment.  You humans work too much, and remember too much.  You  often act so old and world weary; even while you're still young pups!

Outside!  Outside!  The master said I should go outside.  (Runs around in circles, chases tail and barks.)  What could this mean ? Is it a walk?  Is there a rabbit? "Do your job, Buffy!, I have to go to work! "  Oh boy, do my job!  Do my job!
I scan the yard for just the right place to urinate.  Then I'm ready to go.  What's next?  Let's play!  "In the house Buffy, I have to go to work."

If you let it, life experience has a way of slowly siphoning away the earnestness and enthusiasm that a young animal starts his or her existence with.  Maybe it's the pull of gravity that sucks away some invisible ether of excitation from the developing animal's brain, leaving them bored and blase'. Perhaps the brain gets grooves and ruts in it, as it follows the same old neuronal pathways day in and day out.  Patterns of thought and mental pictures are stored and cataloged in the cranial cache, then retrieved without any intervening thought, whenever the already made up mind is presented with a new situation.  When the brain forms all of these pathways, these ruts, nothing is ever new again; the eyes see but the brain doesn't register anything, as it already knows what it's going to say about any situation or conversation that presents itself.  Conditioning kills enthusiasm.   It's a knife through its heart. We dogs try hard to goad you into a full day of playing ball, of chasing squirrels, of finding fascination in the magnificent odors emanating from the base of the fire hydrant.  But all we get is a tug on the leash, and a "lets go, we have to get home". Oh good, your dog thinks. Looks like another 4 hours of watching TV is on today's agenda. Probably the same old shows too!

Dogs love young children, because they are like us in a lot of ways .  Young people still find enjoyment in chasing bubbles and  playing frisbee, in games of hide and go seek, and Candyland! We love our adult masters too, but are often saddened by the toll that tasks and toil take from your souls. Adults need to reboot their systems every year or two. Be a method actor in the world and take on different roles and guises. Research your role thoroughly. Make it a game, and forget everything you've been taught. Forget the insults of the world and  find for yourself what makes other people's ideas interesting. Do it all with a little enthusiasm!  you could even imagine yourself a dog sometime.......

Wait......

 I hear the master at the door,  he's coming HOME,  my hearts racing, I have to help him open the door, it must be too heavy, a nudge from my nose will help.  HE'S HOME!  Wait, there's MOMMY, AND KURT AND KARI.  The whole family is  home! I haven't seen them since they left for the grocery store an hour ago!  It's a Celebration!  Good times! Gotta GO! Party On! See Ya!

Buffy
Uncurbed Enthusiasm