Working on my daily investigation into my thoughts started with writing about the time when my Sheltie, Pip was lost. I noticed a need to thank the people who helped me. Not that it was a bad thing to do, it’s the push to do it; a little bit of neediness that I looked into this morning.
What I found behind it was the belief I was a bad owner. It is totally true that I did not have Pip on a leash. What I get for making myself a bad owner is I get to confess to God and now to you. Somehow I find that confessing let’s me off the hook.
When I confess, my mind goes, OK that’s over. I’ve let it out, let’s move on. However, it doesn’t get to the reason why I let my dog run free. In looking at this, I might change how I act in the future. So I let him run free because I think he likes it, he seems happy. I let him run free because it’s easier then tying him up. I let him run free because I don’t want to hear him barking if I tie him up. Now those are real concrete reasons I let him run free. This is Truth speaking, at least it feels more like Truth then just saying I am a bad owner. When I confess to you that I am a bad owner, I make it your job to forgive me. If I look into my actions and my beliefs that cause my actions, I get closer to the truth and I can let go of the guilt which can allow me to be at peace.
I don’t know if I will or won’t let me dog off the leash in the future. It feels like a more informed decision after this ‘confession.’ I won’t be a mindless owner turning into a guilty owner. And we will see.
Wise words from my teacher: 100% responsibility (for my part) = 0% guilt and 0% blame
Silence is Selfish - Musings of a Mouse 
Very beautifull dog! Back in Two Harbors we always let our dog out the front door to do her “business”. It was a small town, and she was never gone long….and she made a few friends along the way. I used to take her with me on my paper route in the mornings “off leash”. 🙂
If he hadn’t of ended up on a state road, got picked up and brought to a strange house where he escaped and learned to avoid capture; he could have made it back home. My thought is off leash works, until they don’t come home. Maybe it’s never, maybe it’s in 15 minutes. Doesn’t mean I don’t like seeing them free.