John Madden famously said, “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.” What he didn’t mention is that once you step off the porch, you might have to fight to for your fair share of the yard.
It’s not that the other dogs want you to stay on the porch. They’re nice dogs who know there’s space enough in the yard for everyone. But they also like the yard as it’s arranged. Chuck the Alpha Dog sits under the big oak in the center, Fluffy and Princess own the spots on either side, Bobo sleeps under the swings, and so on.
When you step off the porch, you are leaving your assigned spot and taking up a new space, forcing them to rearrange the layout. Since no one likes disrupting the status quo, their first instinct will probably be to push back. To try and put you back on the porch, or at the very least, keep you from encroaching on their spot on the lawn.
Stand your ground. There will be Chucks in this world who will want to keep you small. Don’t let them force you into the weeds or make you feel guilty for wanting a belly scratch. Never forget, you have right to the same good grass, water, and support as all the other dogs no matter what size you are.
Step off the porch, my friends, and believe you belong there.
Photo By PumpkinSky – PumpkinSky, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58880874
