Thursday, October 11, 2012
What Happens When Dogs Die . . .
When a friend's dog dies, I often send a copy of a poem by Rudyard Kipling which in essence says that when we give our heart to a dog, it will be broken.
There is a belief among dog lovers that our dogs go to Heaven and wait for us at The Rainbow Bridge. Then, when we arrive, they will scamper with us over to Heaven.
No matter what you think, our dogs are very very special to us. They ask very little - some food, a pat, a hug. Some of us probably indulge our dogs too much and some perhaps not enough.
Your dog thinks you are the Best Person in the World. He/she thinks more highly of you than probably most humans. (Well, perhaps your spouse should be excluded there.)
Your dog waits for you at the door till you come back. Give him a new toy and you would think it were diamond-studded.
Dogs and people bond together exceptionally well. But, yes, as Kipling said, one day your heart will be broken.
When I was active in the Purebred Dog Fancy, we had more than one dog and so the blow was a little less.
Now, we just have one dog. And before Buddy, the Lhasa Apso, there was Harry who had survived when Sadie (both Shih Tzu) died.
When Harry died, I know I said, "That's it . . . no more dogs".
I lasted five weeks and was so very fortunate to find Buddy. Buddy was not a puppy; he was 10 months old. I think perhaps his Breeder had waited to see if he would like to show him but Buddy is a little larger than I usually like to see a Lhasa. Not a problem (as they say) because I had no intention of showing him.
He was placed on the table for me to go over and he had a wonderful body, good spring of rib, strong legs and . . . most of all, Buddy looked up and me and said,
"Take me to your home and I will LOVE you so much! Please pick ME."
Well, that was over 8 years ago and Buddy has been a perfect fit for Hubby and me.
Yes, I think lovingly of Red the Boxer, and Bobo the Lhasa and all the Shih Tzu . . . Fanny, Sadie and Harry who were housedogs.
There is another dog out there for my friend. Not today. Not tomorrow, but there is a dog out there for her. And that dog will look into her eyes and say . . .
"Take me home with you and we will take care of each other and I will love you, love you, love you!"
Monday, October 1, 2012
We Love Our Dogs . . . Too Much?
The first dog I "owned" was a Boxer named Red. He was similar looking to this dog but his ears stood up because they had been cropped. Red went 60 - 66 lbs. and I trained him with the help of a book called Training You To Train Your Dog by Blanche Saunders. I suspect that book has been out of print for many years, but the concepts were excellent.
We lived in an apartment and once it was spring weather, we started working on his "manners".
He was a gentle dog - good with babies and children and well-behaved with company. We taught him lots of commands and he loved his life which only extended to age 6.
I remember telling a youngster of about 10 that not all dogs were as gentle as Red and one needed to assess a dog before approaching him with the back of one's hand. I guess she forgot, because one day on her way home from school, she was bitten by a German Shepherd.
When my daughter - who only lived to 6-1/2 months - would be in a baby seat in the living room, Red would stand right beside her, never licking or touching her and come for me in the kitchen if she was fussing. He was a loving dog indeed. So, he got an "A" in just about every subject they have to measure dogs.
My second marriage was to an all-breed dog show judge who assured me we would never have a Boxer because it was too big. We chose a breed for me to have as my own - Shih Tzu - but I quickly had to learn about all breeds. We would be at a dinner of Dog Show people and many of them only knew about their own breed. So, I had to know at least a little bit about all breeds just to converse!
I will generalize for you here. Some giant dogs are gentle and some tiny dogs are terrorists. I mean that! I believe the philosophy behind that may have to do with size. Some small dogs feel the need to defend themselves and some large dogs are confident within themselves. THAT IS A GENERALIZATION!
Here in Texas, many people have an "outdoor" dog or a hunting dog. I know house dogs . . . family pets.
We bring dogs into our family and especially if there are no children in the household, these pets become our children and we subliminally forget they are animals, not humans. Dogs and other animals are not motivated the same way as humans are.
Purebred dogs are divided into seven groups according to their purpose or their talent, if you will.
I recall a very fine dog judge yanking me out of the way of a Bull Terrier at a Terrier specialty. I don't think that dog intended to harm me and he was on a handler's lead. But perhaps that man had had a bad experience with Bull Terriers.
Myself, I have seen lots of problems with little dogs who have been in families where they bit some or all of the family members at some time. I think they feel insecure and this is why this happens. But I am not a dog psychiatrist.
I think we need to be cautious of all dogs. Some are guarding their own property. Therefore, if you step onto that property without the owner, you could be at risk.
When I meet a dog I do not know, I generally present the back of my hand to him for him to sniff. I speak quietly to him. If you watch any televised Dog Shows, you will see many judges doing this also, even though there is a human on the end of the dog's lead. The judge is going to touch the dog - go over him, as it were - and he wants the dog to be friendly and ready.
One of my friends had a horrible experience with her dog losing its leg which she put through the garden fence. Fortunately, she is recovering but will have to adjust to having only three legs.The dog on the other side is to blame. I am not going into details because I trust that only smart people read my blog. The owner of the other dog, a senior, is helping with the vet bill and patching the fence. I can only imagine how bad she feels.
Now, I am not talking about people who have dogs that they train to fight. Oh, no! I am telling you that each dog is an individual and if you step into his domain, well . . .
I feel so bad for what my friends have been through. Their little dog will adapt. I can see her - just from her pictures - getting better and healing every day.
And what shall I tell you about our Buddy, the Lhasa? Well, he is more spoiled than my Shih Tzu ever were! He does a few things I would rather he not do. But Buddy is 9 now and he is probably the best companion dog my Hubby or I have ever had! He is loving and wants to be with us all the time.
Has he ever bolted out the front door? Yes. Does he always come when called? No. Do we spoil him with all manner of treats and toys? You bet.
Just remember I cautioned you that not every dog is gentle and loving, no matter his size. Be careful to watch your dog - that he is carefully fenced in when outside. When you see a dog you do not know - no matter his size, please remember to be cautious and not assume he is kind until you have been formally introduced, preferably by his owner.
We lived in an apartment and once it was spring weather, we started working on his "manners".
He was a gentle dog - good with babies and children and well-behaved with company. We taught him lots of commands and he loved his life which only extended to age 6.
I remember telling a youngster of about 10 that not all dogs were as gentle as Red and one needed to assess a dog before approaching him with the back of one's hand. I guess she forgot, because one day on her way home from school, she was bitten by a German Shepherd.
When my daughter - who only lived to 6-1/2 months - would be in a baby seat in the living room, Red would stand right beside her, never licking or touching her and come for me in the kitchen if she was fussing. He was a loving dog indeed. So, he got an "A" in just about every subject they have to measure dogs.
My second marriage was to an all-breed dog show judge who assured me we would never have a Boxer because it was too big. We chose a breed for me to have as my own - Shih Tzu - but I quickly had to learn about all breeds. We would be at a dinner of Dog Show people and many of them only knew about their own breed. So, I had to know at least a little bit about all breeds just to converse!
I will generalize for you here. Some giant dogs are gentle and some tiny dogs are terrorists. I mean that! I believe the philosophy behind that may have to do with size. Some small dogs feel the need to defend themselves and some large dogs are confident within themselves. THAT IS A GENERALIZATION!
Here in Texas, many people have an "outdoor" dog or a hunting dog. I know house dogs . . . family pets.
We bring dogs into our family and especially if there are no children in the household, these pets become our children and we subliminally forget they are animals, not humans. Dogs and other animals are not motivated the same way as humans are.
Purebred dogs are divided into seven groups according to their purpose or their talent, if you will.
I recall a very fine dog judge yanking me out of the way of a Bull Terrier at a Terrier specialty. I don't think that dog intended to harm me and he was on a handler's lead. But perhaps that man had had a bad experience with Bull Terriers.
Myself, I have seen lots of problems with little dogs who have been in families where they bit some or all of the family members at some time. I think they feel insecure and this is why this happens. But I am not a dog psychiatrist.
I think we need to be cautious of all dogs. Some are guarding their own property. Therefore, if you step onto that property without the owner, you could be at risk.
When I meet a dog I do not know, I generally present the back of my hand to him for him to sniff. I speak quietly to him. If you watch any televised Dog Shows, you will see many judges doing this also, even though there is a human on the end of the dog's lead. The judge is going to touch the dog - go over him, as it were - and he wants the dog to be friendly and ready.
One of my friends had a horrible experience with her dog losing its leg which she put through the garden fence. Fortunately, she is recovering but will have to adjust to having only three legs.The dog on the other side is to blame. I am not going into details because I trust that only smart people read my blog. The owner of the other dog, a senior, is helping with the vet bill and patching the fence. I can only imagine how bad she feels.
Now, I am not talking about people who have dogs that they train to fight. Oh, no! I am telling you that each dog is an individual and if you step into his domain, well . . .
I feel so bad for what my friends have been through. Their little dog will adapt. I can see her - just from her pictures - getting better and healing every day.
And what shall I tell you about our Buddy, the Lhasa? Well, he is more spoiled than my Shih Tzu ever were! He does a few things I would rather he not do. But Buddy is 9 now and he is probably the best companion dog my Hubby or I have ever had! He is loving and wants to be with us all the time.
Has he ever bolted out the front door? Yes. Does he always come when called? No. Do we spoil him with all manner of treats and toys? You bet.
Just remember I cautioned you that not every dog is gentle and loving, no matter his size. Be careful to watch your dog - that he is carefully fenced in when outside. When you see a dog you do not know - no matter his size, please remember to be cautious and not assume he is kind until you have been formally introduced, preferably by his owner.
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