I have a Golden Retriever dog that is fourteen years old named Fred (yes I picked that name). My dad brought him home as a puppy when I was only eight years old. Ever since then we have been best buds. I have taken care of him over the years such as feeding him, taking him to the vet, filling up his water bowl, and taking him on lots of walks and car rides.
I consider him to be my best buddy, and for him being my best buddy I gladly do all of these things for him. What is really cool is what he does for me as a return for all of my hard work.
See, I can’t leave my room, go to the kitchen, or go to the bathroom without Fred getting up and following me wherever I go around the house. His way of saying ‘thank you’ and ‘I trust you’ is by following me everywhere I go. He knows that after all of these years, that I am always going to do what is best for him, and that I am going to take care of him.
This is what I call ‘Loyalty Leadership.’ After years and years of serving my dog, he now serves me back by giving me control and allowing me to lead him wherever I think will be best for him. He knows that after years and years of putting his needs first before mine that I am going to do what is best for him in the future. I have ‘bought’ his loyalty for him to allow me to lead him in the directions that I think will benefit him, and me.
What’s funny is this isn’t only true for dogs; it works with another species also. I believe they are called humans.
