20 Life Lessons from Owning 3 Dachshunds
What do you get when you put three Dachshunds under one roof? More than you realize. For author Matt Ziselman, the three highly lovable and equally frustrating dogs–Baxter, Maya, and Molly–quickly woven themselves into his life and filled it with laughter and joy. They were more than dogs, they were his teachers. And these are his lessons:
- When the answer is staring you right in the face, stare right back.
- Listen, especially when there’s nothing to hear.
- If you’re going to be moody, “Happy” is a pretty good choice.
- Be polite. You’ll always make someone’s day.
- Try new things. Within reason.
- Be heard.
- Little things don’t mean a lot: They mean everything.
- If it belongs to you, prove it.
- Be your happy place.
- Even with a messy past, the present can still be pretty neat.
- Beauty (including blankets and sweaters) is in the eye of the beholder.
- Don’t worry—be gassy.
- Time moves fast enough on its own—don’t help it.
- Emotions are complicated; kisses are pretty straightforward.
- Not thinking is nothing to sniff at.
- You decide when your plate is clean.
- When you have someone’s back, that also includes what’s behind them.
- Heel thyself.
- All you need are one or two good friends. Any species will do.
- Reactions aren’t right, or wrong: just real.
Living with three strong-willed, highly individual Dachshunds can be equal parts entertaining, frustrating and rewarding. Just ask Matt Ziselman.
Armed with a fresh, creative voice that is unabashedly cranky one moment and profoundly poignant the next, Ziselman mixes hilarious canine stories, with heartfelt reminiscences from his own life, the results of which is a memoir of illuminating life lessons, courtesy of the three thoroughly Teutonic Dachshunds that he shares his life (and couch) with Baxter, Maya, and Molly.
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