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At first glance this situation is funny, because of the miscommunication. If he had asked: "Does this dog bite", he would have gotten a truthful answer. However, looking deeper for me, this funny scene is about the fact that it's not his dog, so therefore he can't give good answer as to if it would bite or not.

So, whenever in my life I have things going on that are not my responsibility, that I can't control or that simply shouldn't be solved by me, I usually respond by: "Not my dog". It is also American Slang, although I don't know if it finds it's origin in the movie or not.

By saying "Not my dog" I make it funny and light hearted for me. Usually things that we want to take responsibility for: our parents health, our partners well being, our children's happiness are heavy and even though we know we aren't supposed to carry it, we sometimes still try. We want to help so badly and it hurts to see them suffer.

So now, when I see somebody has a problem, I reaffirm that it's not mine (unless it's a problem in a relationship they have with me). I say "Not my Dog", smile and let it go. I reaffirm that it's theirs to deal with and that their path will have challenges just like mine. I use humor to lighten the load for myself.

Sometimes however, that's not enough and I find myself carrying burdens that aren't mine. Usually you can easily check this in the evening. Do you feel particularly tired, but didn't do anything for yourself or any strenuous activity? Are you thinking in bed on issues that you need to resolve or things you need to tell others, that frankly, are not your dog? Do you feel your shoulders or neck hurting? If so, I usually do a cord cutting exercise or an exercise to return my energy to myself.

Do you have something that is 'not your dog' but find yourself spending energy on anyway? Share you story in the comments or on Facebook!