The Master-Servant Relationship Between God, Man and Dogs
Posted: Wednesday, March 28, 2007
by Charlie Petrizzo
Circle of Life Professional Canine Services
A few months back my ten year old daughter and I prepared to feed our dogs their morning meal. As I turned from the counter where I was filling the bowl to place it on the floor where Gracie our 4 year old yellow Labrador retriever was waiting patiently I noticed that her face exuded an extreme happiness and the thumping of her tail against the side of the crate reinforced what her face told me. I was moved by her beauty and the fact that her response to my presence was always the same. It did not matter if I was feeding her, carrying her favorite toy or arriving back home from somewhere.
Before I placed the bowl down I said "Kristen, look at Gracie" to which she replied with the innocence of a ten year old "oh, she loves you so much daddy." This was the response I was looking for. I then asked her "Kristen, does Gracie show me this love only when I feed her or bring her something good or does she act the same way whenever she sees me? "Dad, you know she loves you all the time. When you leave the house she waits in the driveway for you and when you are on the couch watching television or reading a book she sits right next to you. She loves to be with you." What about if I do scold her for doing something bad, do you think she loves me then?" "Dad" she said, almost annoyed by the question, "you know that she forgives you because as soon as you finish correcting her she wants to be right there next to you."
The lead in to my message couldn’t have been any more perfect. The fact that I was shaping it by using the dog as an example, something Kristen is extremely fond of, would allow the message to be powerful and memorable. "Kristen, do you know what you call a love that is always the same and does not change according to the situation?" I didn’t expect her to know the answer and her response confirmed my belief. "No" she replied with a puzzled look on her face. "That kind of love is called unconditional love. Unconditional love is a love that does not change, even if you do something that hurts the person who loves you in this way. The love that mommy and I have for you is unconditional."
"Can you think of anyone else who loves you unconditionally, always the same, all the time, even if you do something wrong?" "God does" she responded emphatically.
"That’s right sweetheart! God loves you the same way, all the time. He is always there for you because his love is unconditional and infinite. He will love you forever." As I said this her head titled slightly to the side as a small grinned crawled across her lips. Her reaction told me that the message hit its mark and because of the visual image that accompanied it I knew it was one that would leave a lasting impression.
I began looking for other analogies in which I could use the dog, man’s best friend, to deliver messages to children that would hopefully give them a better understanding of their relationship with God. I was also hoping to find a way to help them understand how important it is for them to properly care for the creation that God has blessed us with.
As a dog trainer and breeder much of my time is spent with grown dogs and puppies.
A recent process of spiritual maturation has helped me to realize that my love for all things canine is a gift from God that allows me to help others. Through my training I am able to help people develop healthy relationships with their dogs allowing it to become the companion it was meant to be. Through the use of techniques based in positive reinforcement I am able to mold the dog into a well behaved, self confident member of the family while educating the owners on how to properly interact with the dog to maintain hierarchical harmony. The combination of these two things serves to increase the owner’s self esteem and desire to make the dog a bigger part of their life.
Through our breeding program we strive to produce pups that are not only of excellent physical conformation but also high intelligence and excellent temperament. These qualities are a necessity given that our primary purpose in breeding is to donate pups to organizations like the North Star Foundation. North Star places therapy dogs with families who have children with Autism, Down syndrome or who have experience a tragedy in their life. As a family we truly cherish the opportunity we get to help bring these special pups into this world and, along with their mother, nurture them for the first two months of life. I know that God has called me to do this work to help the families who these pups will eventually serve.
After a very successful and rewarding career in the financial services industry my life has become one defined by a few words; God, family and dogs. This may seem strange to most and it certainly seemed strange to me but given the significance that both God and dog play in my life I began to consider the possibility that their might be a message in the fact that dog spells God in reverse. I wanted to find a message that I could use to help others understand their relationship with God but also through that their responsibility to God when he entrusts them with his creation. Oddly enough there was a message underlying the words.
We are in a master-servant relationship with God. He is the master and we are the servant. However, to be an obedient servant one must first be taught how to act or live properly. For this purpose God gave us his Word, the Bible. The Bible provides us with instruction on how to live our lives so that we can be faithful servants of God. God also went a step further. When God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Word was made flesh. Jesus Christ came not to be served but to serve others. Through his teaching and self sacrifice we learned what it meant to serve our Master.
In the book of Genesis God gave man dominion over all of his creation. Although we have been blessed with many spectacular creatures none can compare with the dog. The dog is not only a beautiful and intelligent creature but one that can serve to enhance our lives. Dogs have "restored" sight to the blind. Their sense of smell helps to find people trapped underneath rubble. They protect us from harm by locating bombs, drugs and other contraband. Finally they can be the greatest of companions.
Just as we are in a Master-servant relationship with God we are also in a master-servant relationship with our dogs. However, this time the roles are reversed. We are the master and the dog our servant. We have a responsibility to God to care for His creation and make it all that it can be. The person that acquires a pup or dog must commit to a life of training. Doing so will allow the dog to reach its full potential while bringing happiness into the person’s life. If we do not take the time to love, train and nurture our relationship with the dog it is doomed for a life of misery and perhaps even death. There are over four million dogs euthanized in our country each year. The number one cause for euthanasia is behavior problems.
The thought of a master-servant relationship in which you are the one destined to serve sounds intimidating and unrewarding. The world tells us that professional achievement defines success and our materialistic culture makes money its god. I was extremely fortunate to achieve success in corporate America . Professional achievement brought financial success and what I thought was happiness. However, it wasn’t until I left corporate America , reordered my priorities and decided to learn how to serve my Master that I experienced true happiness and peace.
In a relationship with God He is the master and we are the servant. He is a loving and merciful Master who has provided us with the tools to be good servants. True happiness as the servant comes only when you obey the Master. God has given us the dog to enrich and improve the quality of our life. In human-canine relationships the master-servant roles are reversed. While we are the master true happiness can only come when the servant obeys. To make that happen we have to provide the servant with training. When we do the servant learns to "love" us unconditionally and finds happiness in serving us. When you look at things in this light it makes perfect sense for dog to spell God in reverse.
This Article has been viewed 1,942 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Thank you for the article, I have a German Shepherd that is 17mths old and we have been working with a trainer. He is a great dog and will do anything for me. I am giving a devotional to our Upward Basketball program and was looking for a way to use the dog to demonstrate God's love and you have provided me with some of the words to say. Thanks so much and God bless.
Great inspiratinal article!David, Washington, DC
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.