Tag: #dogs

Dogs and Paradise

On By stepheeckhoutIn Pets, Positivity2 Comments

In last Sunday’s comic section, the “Mutts” cartoon by Patrick McDonnell featured a person bundled up out in the snow with their dog. The pup had a little sweater on and was bounding gleefully through the snow with a stick in their mouth. The quote attributed to Milan Kundera is “Dogs are our link to paradise.” This and more is true about the love and joy that dogs selflessly give to their humans. We are their pack.

I am better with dogs, and often even a more balanced human because of their steadfast love and positive energy. They know when I need more care and surround me in a protective shield. I adore them and need them, perhaps as much or more than they need me, depending on the day or night. I grieve deeply and for a long time after I have to tell my beloved pup that I will see her/him later when it is my time to cross the bridge, knowing they will all be there to lead me over and continue to guide me on my next journey. Those who wait across the bridge, running around again and playing ball (Lucy), still watch over their pack…their family, along with their feline pack members who have joined them along the way.

To live with dogs as companions gives one a glimpse of how humans should live and treat one another. Dogs love unconditionally and may bark at each other, which is how they communicate. They do not hold grudges, even against evil and hateful humans who harm them. They are smart and know what we need, when we need whatever it is that we need, or they think we need, like a personal escort everywhere in our own homes. Humans obviously have no idea how to do anything on their own, let alone safely, so they protect us from ourselves and others, like the weekly trash and recycle collection trucks. They let us know the “threat level” then go back about their business, which is usually a nap because they are all seniors, but never underestimate their ability to guard our home and property. Nothing moves without notice.

Dogs pick us up when we are down, or even when we do not yet know we are down; they make sure we are okay. They are the best snuggle buddies and make sure we are safe when we sleep. They rouse us by washing our faces and perhaps ears that somehow got dirty overnight whilst sleeping. They look at us with love and gift us with more of the same. They miss us while they watch us work outside in the yard when their “help” is not needed, often for their own safety. They get excited to take us for walks in the neighborhood, but especially at the park where there are fewer rules about where they may wander.

Dogs are perfect examples of unconditional love and foster scenarios of paradise for the ones they love, even their cats. Dogs are companions. Dogs are guardians. Dogs demonstrate love. Dogs give humans a glimpse into what could indeed be a version of paradise on Earth Mother. For the love of Dog.

Look Mamas, We Brought You a Gift!

On By stepheeckhoutIn PetsLeave a comment

All pet parents have likely been there and witnessed our dear little four-legged family members and their earnest presentations of their gifts from the great outdoors. Last month we received our latest offering, a token of their enduring affection. I was walking by Winston, our serious goofball Poochon, on a rug with a toy. I took a couple of steps and was like, even among their vast collection of toys, I did not recall something that even remotely resembles a bird. Of course, I backed up and knelt down to investigate. The gift was indeed a bird that had crossed the bridge and had some small portions missing. It must have fallen out of a tree or something and into our yard because the cats do not go outside…most of the time unless they escape and feel the need to climb a tree. That is a story for another time. Anyway…I took the gift and thanked him then told Kathy about our latest gift and she said oh, I saw him concentrating on something in one of the front beds. I was like oh no…he took it with him to his favorite spots, similar to what he does with one of my flip flops when we are both gone. We tracked his path to his favorite spots and of course had to clean two beds and one rug, then took the poor creature out to our woods in the back to offer it back to Mother Earth.

Several years ago, the cats caught their gift that had apparently either ventured too close to the gap that was under the bottom of our screened porch door (rectified shortly thereafter) or the little bird decided to somehow manage to get onto our porch underneath the door. I discovered this gift well after what appeared to have been its demise at the paws of our Maine Coon/Abyssinian litter mates Amos and Andy. They were acting crazier than usual and obviously had their fun in chasing it before their instincts went into kill mode. I went into the master suite for something and saw feathers literally everywhere and was like hmmm, I do not recall a stuffed bird that has these kind of feathers or any for that matter. I think it was Amos at that point that had what remained trapped in the bathroom on a rug and was not happy to part with his “toy.” Now, that was a mess to clean up and we found more feathers in our main living area when we investigated further. The cats are smart and quick as lightening when they decide to go for something.

We love all creatures and feed the birds and squirrels out back but do not really want them in our home. However, we accept the gifts as they come, thank our pack members for their diligence, and then present their offerings back to nature to include the mother hawk who has her nest in our back woods. We had an incident with Andy and one of her babies a few years ago but I will leave that tale for another time.