Old Dogs can Still Learn New Tricks

MANILA, Philippines - One day, the kittens known as Blackfoot, Whitefang and Stripe asked Brad, the world's smartest rat, a question.

"Brad, why is Dog-las happier and easier to deal with when it's close to December 25?" asked Whitefang.

"Yeah," agreed Blackfoot and Stripe.

"We all know about how grumpy he is all throughout the year, and we're well aware about Christmas being the season of joy and hope and all… but what exactly is Dog-las happy and excited about Christmas?" inquired Stripe.

Brad, who knew Dog-las longer than anyone else in the neighborhood, knew exactly why the grumpy old dog was cheerier and happier every time Christmas drew near. Being as old as Dog-las himself, Brad once played an important role in how the grumpy dog changed his views towards the season of cheers.

Thinking back, Brad then said, "There's an old story behind Dog-las' attitude towards Christmas, little Kittens, a story that essentially says something about how old dogs can still learn new tricks."

"You see, even back when we were young, Dog-las was already grumpy. As a pup, we would call him "old man" since he was already an old curmudgeon in his teens. He was particularly nastier and grumpier when it was Christmas, since he found happy giggles, bright and colorful decorations really annoying."

"This attitude continued until we were adults. Back then, we simply ignored him and his grumpiness, realizing that inviting him to take part in our activities was just a bad idea."

"But one day, my teacher - the original smartest rat in the world - said something that compelled me to be nicer to Dog-las. He said 'Brad, there's a reason why nasty people are nasty. You see, though they do the most horrible things and are just generally not nice to be with, they are actually in pain'."

"I thought about my teacher's words, and realized that he wasn't talking about physical pain, but a different kind of pain that causes people to be grumpy or nasty."

"A frustration from the past or a bad experience could be the cause, but it doesn't really matter. Nasty and grumpy people are actually suffering from something deep inside, and being nice to them may just be enough to slowly help them change their views towards everything."

"Since then, I took the time to be nicer to Dog-las during Christmas, to let him know that he really doesn't have to be grumpy all the time. I started by simply saying hello to him every time I bumped into him in the neighborhood, and that simple greeting led to other acts of kindness which eventually changed his feelings towards Christmas over the years."

The kittens thought about Brad's words for a few minutes, and realized that there's some truth in what he had said.

Realizing that simple acts of kindness can really mean a lot to those in "pain", they vowed to be nicer to Dog-las moving on, in an effort to help him do away with his grumpiness all throughout the year.

After all, old dogs CAN still learn new tricks… even the grumpy ones like Dog-las.