Giant Dog Goes Out of His Way to Keep a Rat Comfortable

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A German Shepherd goes out of his way to make sure that his best friend is as comfortable as possible. Would you believe that his best friend is a rat? This heartwarming story makes us stop and think about relationships and how little our physical differences mean when it comes to forming a connection.

Nuka and Blue’s story

The story appeared on the I Heart Dogs webpage. Nuka is a beautiful German shepherd dog with a shiny black coat. He’s a large dog and his heart is even bigger. His owners raised him with proper training about what is right and what is wrong. Nuka has everything that he needs including love, a comfortable home life, and good teaching. Dogs are much like children and most thrive under the right living conditions. Nuka is a good example of how well adjusted and sweet a dog can be. When the family decided to adopt a tiny rat named Blue from a local pet shop. Blue and Nuka formed an immediate connection. The tiny rat would snuggle into Nuka’s coat for comfort and protection. Blue was the instigator of the relationship. He seemed to be drawn to Nuka and when their owner would move him, he would always find his way back to his giant pal. The size difference could have resulted in an unfortunate accident if Nuka had rolled over on Blue, but he took great measures to be gentle with his little rat pal and to make sure that he was safe and secure.

Instant celebrities

Nicole realized that this is a story that simply must be told. She set up an Instagram account for Nuka and Blue to let the world know about their unlikely yet heartwarming connection. Nuka has several tiny furry friends, but his relationship with Blue is the most special. It’s a beautiful friendship that sets an example for the rest of us. We could all use something to smile about these days. This very public display of love and friendship encourages us to consider what beautiful connections we can make with one another when we look beyond our differences to look at the heart of a person instead. There is a lot we can learn from our pets.

What factors combine to make such an amazing pet?

Nuka was born with a sweet disposition along with a warm and caring heart. Even his vet noticed that the dog as a puppy was wise beyond his years with a gentle nature. Nuka was raised with a variety of animals and he is friendly to them all. Part of this gentleness was from Nuka’s training as a puppy. His owner Nicole raised him with other animals and she taught him to be gentle around other rats who were part of the diverse family. Some pets are just naturally good-natured and some are wiser, but proper training is a necessity.

Life lessons our pets can teach us

Nuka and Blue’s story is uncommon, but there are a lot of great examples of animal love and their moving acts of kindness. Our pets do some amazing things that are not always shared with the world. They have a lot to teach us about kindness, loyalty and giving one another a chance. K12 points out that there are a lot of good things we can learn from our pets. We’ve chosen five timely lessons we can take away from this story.

1. Don’t be hasty to judge others

Nuka and Blue were able to form a beautiful relationship because they weren’t hung up on judging each other. Each could have realized their size and species differences, but they didn’t. Humans tend to see differences as frightening or potentially bad things. This faulty belief system is rooted in our primal instinct for survival, but it’s not the best approach if you want to make quality friendships. Sometimes our differences help us to learn from one another and to grow into more well-rounded people. Diversity is like a breath of fresh air to a stale room. Drop the biases and remove the labels and outworn beliefs. Give one another a chance. You might just meet the best friend you’ll ever have in this life if you do.

2. Stop worrying about what others think of you

Dogs aren’t concerned with the opinions of others at their first encounter. Properly socialized pets don’t hold back because they’re worried about how they look or if someone is going to like them. This is a people thing. We miss out on so many excellent opportunities to make friends by holding back because we’re afraid of being rejected. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to make the first friendly gesture to another. Letting go of self-doubt and breaking the ice may result in a rejection, but it can also lead to a great friendship. The other person may be feeling just as insecure as you do. It’s worth taking the chance.

3. Start living in the moment

Mindfulness is a practice that is becoming a popular topic in pop-psychology. It’s good to live in the moment and to experience everything that the present has to offer. As humans, we’re either stuck in the past or worrying about the future. All we have is right now, so why not enjoy it to the fullest? Pets know how to live in the moment. We can learn to do the same.

4. Never lose your curiosity

Pets are naturally curious creatures. The world is full of wonder. When we stop exploring, we lose that sense of wonder. It’s the same wonder that drives us to investigate and to consider possibilities. Curiosity is exciting. It allows our inner child to step forward and make discoveries. It’s what helps us to be lifelong learners and to continue expanding our knowledge base along with our horizons.

5. Always make time to play

Life comes with responsibilities. We know what we are obligated to complete. Still, there need to be break times in-between. Pets can show us how just a few minutes out of our day can lead to a lot of fun and enjoyment. Most pets are playful. They find a great deal of pleasure in everyday things. A cat can have a heyday with a piece of yarn. Dogs are satisfied fetching whatever you’re willing to throw for them. They know how to find fun in their environment. Did you know that play helps us to develop a sound base for our physical, social, cognitive, and emotional well-being? Our pets have already figured this out. It’s a part of their nature. We haven’t socialized it out of them.

Final thoughts

Nuka and Blue’s story is just what we need in a time when the world is living in fear and unrest. They show us the ways we can mitigate our everyday worries to enjoy the simple things in life. When we drop old useless beliefs, take a chance on another person, and allow ourselves to live in the moment, we’re enjoying the best things in life.