All you need is one good dog
September 4, 2008 by Dr. Davis
Man + Dog = ♥
4ever. No kidding. The human-animal bond is one of the oldest documented relationships, going on now 12,000 years. Beat that, Clarence and Mayme Vail. But this is one relationship I wholeheartedly respect, admire, and strive to sustain. It’s also the common denominator in all pet owners I meet, both in and outside of the clinic. Eyes brighten, smiles emerge, and a sad or funny but always tender story often follows of that one good cat or dog that changed a person’s life.
So why do we love our animals so much? Perhaps because they may be the only creatures that love us more than we love ourselves. They offer us uncomplicated and unconditional love for little in return. Every day, without fail, my four legged pals await my arrival, as if I’m the best part of their afternoon, having forgotten the scold that morning for eating the flip flop. They don’t care how I look or dress, or whether or not I remember their birthday. They simply know only how to love.
Pets = Power. They are rehabilitators for the old, the ill, the young, and the imprisoned. They are our family members, our siblings. The mere presence of them in our lives helps to lower our blood pressure, reduce stress, and even increase the chance of survival in the event of a heart attack. Maybe that’s why over 50% of pet owners say they’d have their pet as their only companion if they were stranded on a desert island, among other things.
Being in the midst of hurricane and tropical storm season, I thought it was important to point out one little flaw to the human-animal bond. It seems that pet owners are so loyal to the animals they love, that they will risk personal injury to protect them. So much so that they are significantly less likely to evacuate their home than pet-less households. Who can forget the images of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? Sure I was moved by images of flooded streets, stranded people and devastation, but nothing was as touching as seeing the helpless creatures left behind:
I’ll end with what inspired me to write this post. Recently, I came upon a note left in the Dog Chapel, a small church in a smaller town in Vermont, dedicated to remembering the animals that brightened their owners’ lives. The walls are covered, 3 and 4 times over, with notes, cards, photos, and plaques. This one, on a tattered and aged piece of notebook paper read:
“To Jack. You went to heaven 12 years ago. The doctor says I won’t be far behind. I can’t wait to see you again. You were the best dog. Love, Dad”
Wipe your tears away, go hug your dog or pet your cat, and tell me why you love your best friend.
Thanks for reading.
This seems like an appropriate place to share the Rainbow Bridge story…be forewarned before you read further. This always makes me cry.
Dr. Davis, what a touching and poignant post!
Since you asked, I’ll offer up why I love my pet. Henry (all ten pounds of him) protects me, nurtures me, accepts me, listens to me, loves me, and all without saying a word. Like a family member, he is my forever friend. Whatever comes my way, he is there with constant and unconditional love. Not to mention, he is the cutest dog in the world. http://www.flickr.com/photos/haideecline/2827980515/in/photostream/
Call me crazy, but I believe he thinks that I am his mother. And sometimes to my detriment, I consider him my baby. We are currently working on some “King of the Castle” issues, but he is getting sweeter by the day.
I was incredibly moved by the Rainbow Bridge post and brought to tears. My dog and husband are my life, and as a young married women that does not have kids (yet), I consider SirLoin my child. In fact, when speaking to some of my other married friends that have yet to have children, we all agree that loving a pet is like no other love. And, it scares us to death when we think about how much we will love a child when we love our pets as much as we do…
The Rainbow Bridge is indeed a touching tribute. Sniff!
Kate–you are not alone. In fact, a lot of first time parents go through a tremendous period of guilt when the little (real) baby has to be put first before the original four-legged ‘baby.’ Fido is no longer top dog, and it’s tough to get over. But love knows no bounds, so there will plenty to go around when you add on to your family!
Great post, Dr. Davis! Now if I could only convince my s.o. to agree to getting a dog of our very own!
I haven’t responded to this until now, but I feel compelled to after what just happened…. About half an hour ago I was taking my best pal, Savoy, for her evening constitutional along our driveway when two strange dogs (as in, never seen them before) came barreling out of the darkness barking and snarling at us. True to my SPCA training I turned and hauled my little one away by her leash yelling, “Come!” She came alright, but that didn’t stop the two strangers who kept coming at us until they caught us and jumped me, knocking me down.
I should say at this point that I don’t know whether those dogs were friendly or not. All I knew then was that 1) it was dark, 2) they weren’t on leashes, 3) they weren’t any dogs I’ve ever seen around our place before, 4) they were barking and growling, and 5) they didn’t stop coming even though we were running the other way.
Anyway, as I hit the ground, the last thing I saw was my little 30-pounder literally squaring off against 2 dogs about twice her size, trying to keep them off her mom. I remember thinking, “I can’t let anything happen to her!” and then the next thing I knew I was sitting on the porch of our house with my husband yelling at the person who had eventually come after our attackers. I have no idea what Savoy did, what I did, or what else happened–my husband says that by the time he got to the gate I was sort of up and stumbling back toward the house, and he opened the gate and hauled us through it.
My dog doesn’t pick fights, and she responds quickly to correction from me when we are out walking and something worries her. I’ve never had an incident like that in the 6 years we’ve had her, and I certainly hope I never do again. But if there was any doubt in my mind that she knows I love her or that she loves me with all the ferocity her little self has, it’s long gone now. I already loved her to a ridiculous degree, but tonight I saw what unconditional love REALLY looks like: it’s 30 pounds of black fuzz standing down a bad mess of teeth!
CWB - that is so scary! I’ve heard a similar story from a friend who ventured outside for a walk with her dog. She usually took her children in the stroller, but parents were in town and encouraged her to get some air and “me” time. She stepped across the street and crossed paths with a neighborhood dog walker. One of the dogs attacked my friend’s lab. Out of the blue. Her dog lost sight in one eye from the attack, but my friend is grateful that is all. She is also grateful that her children weren’t with her because she mentioned how, by instinct ,she went to protect her dog. Imagine if there were children nearby.
Dr. Davis…what is your take on how to handle / spot / avoid aggresive dogs?
CWB, wow. Glad you are okay, and relieved you had your dog with you. Sheesh.
With respect to being able to detect aggression in an approaching dog, look for these key signs: Dog makes direct eye contact with you or another being, ears up, body stiff, tail up (tail can be wagging). Basically, an aggressive dog will assume any body position to make himself appear larger.
What can you do if you are approached by a potentially aggressive dog? I encounter this a lot as I am a runner, so the following have worked for me:
-don’t make eye contact with the dog. In fact, ignore him if possible.
-if totally unavoidable and you have to interact with the dog, don’t turn your back to the dog. If you’re running, stop, If cycling, stop, It’s kinda like a dog chasing a car–in it for the thrill of the race.
There is a lot of info from behaviorists out there, but I don’t want to quote them as I’d hate to pass any crummy info along.
One thing that does seem to work if necessary is mace. I’d carry this especially if you’re with children and there is a potential for a dog attack.
Speaking of aggressive dogs…I just took my 10-pounder to the Darden Towe dog park. There weren’t many dogs there, just a couple of larger dogs including a Boxer and a shy pup that stayed next to its owner.
I let mine off his leash and 10 min later, the Boxer attacked him. I believe that he was trying to mount my little one, but he also was growling and got my dog’s back leg in his mouth. My dog was trying to defend himself with his own vicious growls. My instinct was to pull the Boxer off, which I couldn’t have done by myself if my husband hadn’t been with me. Fortunately, there weren’t any wounds, just a scared little dog.
Dr. Davis - what can you do in that situation? The owner of the Boxer was far away and only got there after we had pulled her dog off. Should we avoid dog parks all together? Or is there a small dog park available?
Oh Haidee, I’m so sorry you can empathize about the dog violence–that is my worst nightmare…and one reason I only take Ms. S to the doggie park at off hours! (Incidentally, I’m still scared half to death to take her out at night–and my right hip is swollen and horribly banged up.)
There are certain dogs/owners that can clear the Darden dog park out. Sounds like you found one.
I think there should be “small dog” hours at Darden. I don’t have a small dog, but I sometimes get nervous for the little guys when I’m there with my dog. I think there’s a local pug group that meets for play time…maybe you could organize something like that for your dog.
Good idea on the “small dog hours” at the dog park.
In the “biz” we have an acronym for the interaction and injuries resulting from a larger dog attacking a smaller dog: BDLD
Big Dog Little Dog
If it happens enough that it warrants an acronym, I’d say it’s a pretty serious issue.