Grant Me the Confidence of a Pekingese

Agnus (with a 'u') is my daughter's wise, sassy, white Pekingese. Stealing one of these dogs in ancient China was punishable by the death penalty, as they were only to be owned by royalty. Millenniums of sitting on royal cushions sets this breed apart from other dogs in that Pekingese actually believe they are royal.  Though she's very smart, Agnus won't come when she's called, thinking it beneath her; she's really more like a cat than a dog.

(Agnus in her favorite lawn chair)

I'd love to bottle up her confidence and self-importance and sell it, as I believe some of us could use what Agnus offers.  As royal as she acts, Agnus is still a dog, albeit an extremely diabolical one (the time spent on royal cushions gave the breed time to develop superior minds).  She amuses herself by setting up little ambushes to bait and attack our simple, cow-dog cross, Pancho, who knows lots of great tricks, but can't figure out Aggie's evil traps.  

I take them out on drives to let them run along country roads.  When they're finished, Pancho dutifully hops into the back of my Yukon, while Agnus- refusing to ride in the back- only tries to jump in when she can be in the driver's seat.  Her leap into my car is the reason I write this little piece. 

At about a foot tall and solid as a brick, Aggie's clearly not able to make the jump from the ground to the driver's seat of my Yukon, yet leap she does, with confidence that she'll easily make it.  And she does, as every time I'm there to finish her arc with a mid-air pick up that seamlessly lands her in the seat.  If no one was there to help her make her goal, she'd hit the side of the seat and fall, as she's not making the typical little dog "pick-me-up" jump- Aggie sails through the air with a purpose.  She jumps off a bed in the same way- as if she can fly.

I think we can learn a lot from the way little Agnus gets into my car.  First, she doesn't let circumstances limit her.  It doesn't matter that she's short and heavy, nor that she came from a shelter.  Agnus leaps with confidence, knowing she's going to make it- if not by her own power, then by a power greater than she.  Secondly, Aggie gives it her all to make that mark; she doesn't give a half-hearted try and then quit, waiting for assistance.  Lastly, Agnus doesn't dwell on the fact that she made it into the seat.  She graciously accepts the help offered and continues on, as by then she's concentrating on her next big goal- learning to drive!