A LIFE WITHOUT A DOG IS A LIFE WITHOUT A SOUL

A LIFE WITHOUT A DOG IS A LIFE WITHOUT A SOUL

Thursday

FOLLOW YOUR DOG


(The Laurentians 2010)

It's 1AM, I can't sleep and neither can my dog so I grab a headlight and we go out into the night.

He leads me along a wooded path covered in memories of paw prints and explorations with dogs of past and present. 

We are surrounded by giant pines and we can hear the whisper of everything that is alive and dancing through the forest.

We find a spot unobstructed by trees where we can sit and take in the starry, country sky. 

A deep, warm silhouette of colours and shapes waltz their way across the canvas and every now and then a star loses its grip and falls. 

I feel a wave of emotion come over me. I wonder where stars learn to twinkle and why some fall while the others stay in place.
   
I hold my dog close and kiss his head. I hold him never wanting to let go because my love for him is so great and our time together so brief.






As we head back toward the house, he nudges my hand with his head, barks and gestures. Suddenly, we are startled by a  strobe of light racing across the sky. It reaches out and carries us for a slice of a second.

Shades of blue and purple, pink and orange join hands like a rainbow after a storm. The entire sky calls to us with a silent, soothing calmness.

I feel the presence of my dogs - all my boys - their spirits still very much alive, radiating like stars flowing in Rainbow Heaven.

I reach out to hug them and there within the warmth of their souls, I drift like a leaf in the wind never wanting to land.

Sleep well my boys and when I look up at the sky - remember to twinkle so I know you are there.

         

                                Buddy and Buster R.I.P. 2010

I AM YOUR DOG AND THIS IS WHAT I KNOW

I know you love me more than you love yourself.

I know that you think of me all day when you are at work and I am at home thinking about you.

I know you would skip a weeknight out because I have been alone all day and weeknights are for me and you.

I know that if I wait on the floor beneath your chair that sooner or later you will drop some food and I will grab it and gobble it down before you can take it away from me.

I know all of your pain and have counted all of your teardrops and I don't like anyone who has hurt you or anyone who may hurt you.

I know you made sacrifices when you rescued me and that you gave me a second chance.

I know that when you came to the shelter I noticed you right away and I wanted you to take me home and that you were concerned as to whether you would be the right parent for me. Just the same, you took me with you, rather than leaving me behind.

I know that I will be forever grateful for that and your most loyal, loving friend for as long as I live.

I know that I shed all over the place and you have to vacuum every day and wearing black is not a good idea even if you like to wear black.


WHISKEY WARHOL


I know that you like to see me first thing in the morning when you awake as much as I like to see you and I know that I wait for you to come home when you are away and it feels like a million years have passed and when you return it is quite simply the greatest thing ever.

I know that when you fill my Kong you fill it not only with cookies and cheese but with love.

I know that the day will come when we will have to part and that where I am going you cannot join me.

I know that I will watch over you and when you pass to the other side I will come and greet you if only for a moment to give you a kiss and thank you for the wonderful life you gave me and then I will return to Rainbow Bridge.

I know that one day we will find ourselves in another place and time. You will be walking along a long and winding country road amidst the fog and I will be there at the next turn and will run into your arms and you will hold me forever in a world where forever exists.

I know that I am in your heart and your soul as you are in mine and that our love began the moment you walked me out of that shelter into the fresh air and rays of the sun that I thought I may never feel again.

I know that you saved me and I know that I saved you.

And that is all I know.

Saturday

WHEN YOUR DOG VISITS YOU IN YOUR DREAMS

Last night my dog Buddy came to me in a dream the way sometimes dearly departed souls visit you when you least expect it and the experience is so visceral, so deep that it both hurts and heals.

I was in the country with a friend checking out a farm for sale. I exited one of the many tattered barns and as I came around the bend Buddy was just standing there.  He appeared as a hologram floating in the mist, in the fog.


It had been almost a decade since we last were together. I thought of him every day and while most of the thoughts were happy and provided me with wonderful memories of our life together; there were always those waves that washed over me at night - a tide burying me somewhere in the sand.


But now he stood in front of me and the hologram transitioned into all of Buddy and his beauty - just the way I remembered him -- healthy, handsome and goofy of course.





Buddy was quite a character. He was my birthday present when I turned 30 ( a Flat Coat Retriever we adopted from a shelter) and shortly thereafter I received a diagnosis that rocked my world. I was sick for years and Buddy was right there with me all the way.


Buddy went everywhere with me and his Dad. For anyone who plans their vacations and any outings entirely around their dog - you can understand how integral their companionship and presence is in your life.

Like most dogs he had his wild and uninhibited side. He chased a family of skunks into their den and well let's just say they all partook in his communal shower. He got us kicked out of a campground because he decided it would be a good idea to visit each and every site/trailer to say hello and see if the hosts might offer him a hot dog or even better a steak.

He ran onto a lake that was thinly covered in ice, fell through and started swimming away from the shore. I snaked out on the ice to rescue him knowing that we both could succumb to hypothermia and drown. 

His life came before mine and then that same winter I fell through the ice while walking Buddy. He pulled me back up to the surface putting my life before his.

He loved Friday nights and quickly figured out how to grab the Challah (bread) from the kitchen counter.


One night while we were all asleep he found a fresh apple pie (definitely pre-meditated having watched us that afternoon unpack the groceries). He ate the entire pie and then hid the plate under the couch.

 He ate everything and anything - there were socks and underwear coming out of him like a washer/dryer. He farted so bad you had to clear the room and not come back for 30 minutes (and he smiled with pride each time).

But mostly he was a wonderful, warm companion and he was my son.






One night at the age of 13, after a great day of swimming in the lake and running in the woods - he collapsed from a massive stroke - no warning, no chance to say a real goodbye and by morning he was gone.

 I remember being at the Vet and holding hime not wanting or knowing how to leave. Given he had not deteriorated from Cancer or some other disease, his beautiful face, glistening coat - were still in tact. The light had left his eyes and I could feel part of his soul slip into mine. Then he departed to a far better place.

I went through the same process as everyone - wondering if he knew how much I loved him and wishing I had said thank you more - thank you for enriching my life the way only a dog can.


In the dream - he came to me and we hugged - I held him as close as I could never wanting to let go but he was being summoned and I could hear the calls like a whisper in the wind.


He told me he was in a safe and happy place with other dogs. They all watched out for one another and they played and shared their peanut butter/cheese/cookie Kongs.


He told me he loved me and missed me as much as I did him and that although it was rare for him to be able to penetrate the wall between our world and his beautiful place of peace; he was able to do so for fractions of a second from time to time.


Then he walked away and vanished into the white, into the blue, into a place I have never been.


Maybe forever but I hope not because forever is far too long.


Dogs are a gift. They are only with us for a short time but in that period they teach us what it really means to love and to be in the moment. They make us better people.


Bless you Buddy.


And to my readers everywhere - Bless the precious souls you have lost. I hope they visit you in your dreams.


Sunday

9 THINGS YOUR DOG WANTS TO TELL YOU



#9 - YOU KNOW THAT NICE AZTEC PATTERN PILLOW ON THE COUCH? WELL WHEN YOU AREN'T HOME - I GRAB THAT PILLOW - I BITE THE CORNER OF IT BETWEEN MY FRONT TEETH AND I PUT THE REST OF IT UNDER ME AND I HUMP IT LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW. THEN I FEEL BAD SO I KISS IT AND PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.

#8 - YOU KNOW HOW GUILTY YOU FEEL WHEVER YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME AT HOME ALONE? WELL THE TRUTH IS I CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF YOU - FINALLY SOME PEACE AND QUIET AND NONE OF THOSE STUPID PHOTOS - HEY THAT'S A PHONE - USE IT AS A PHONE.

#7 - YOU KNOW WHEN WE MEET UP WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR DOGS DURING OUR WALKS AND YOU START TO BLABB BLABB BLABB - WELL WHILE YOU ARE DOING THAT ME AND THE DOG ARE MAKING PLANS. I'M LIKE - HEY MY MOM IS GOING TO BE GONE ALL DAY TOMORROW - COME OVER AND WE CAN EAT COOKIES AND CHEESE OUT OF MY KONG - WE CAN GO ON HER LAPTOP AND EDIT HER MATCH.COM - "AM I EVER GOING TO MEET ANYONE ?"- PROFILE - AND WE CAN WATCH TV BUT NOT RAY DONOVAN BECAUSE IT REALLY SUCKS THIS SEASON. WHAT'S UP WITH THOSE WRITERS? I MEAN SERIOUSLY THEY HAVE AN AWESOME CAST WHO ARE JUST SITTING ON THE BENCH WAITING FOR A CHANCE UP AT BAT - GET IT TOGETHER WILL YA?

#6 - I AM ON DOG TINDER AND LET ME TELL YOU IT IS HARD TO SWIPE LEFT OR RIGHT WITH MY PAWS. ALSO I SCRATCHED YOUR PHONE AND I USED GEO-TAGGING SO THERE MAY BE A FEW PRETTY CANINE LADIES DROPPING BY - THAT MEANS THE BEDROOM IS MINE - HEY - I AM ASKED TO LEAVE WHENEVER YOU HAVE COMPANY AND I ONLY STICK AROUND BECAUSE I AM TRYING TO PROTECT YOU FROM THE PERSON WHO IS IN OUR BED MAKING ALL SORTS OF NOISES AND SHOUTING  "DON'T STOP!"  

#5 - LOOK OUT THE WINDOW - LICK THE WINDOW - LOOK OUT THE WINDOW - LICK THE WINDOW - OK NOW YOU TRY



      


#4 - I REALLY GET PEOPLE - I SMELL THEM AND I SENSE THEM - THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS - I KNOW WHO I WANT YOU CLOSE TO AND WHO I WANT AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE FROM YOU - SO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO MY BODY LANGUAGE WHEN A NEW PERSON IS AROUND - I COULD SAVE YOU A LOT OF GRIEF.

#3 - I SIT IN FRONT OF YOU AND STARE AT YOU ON QUEUE A GOOD 15 MINUTES BEFORE DINNER TIME - THAT'S ME TELLING YOU THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE DOING THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN  FEEDING ME MY DINNER ON TIME. 

#2 - LIFE IS A JOURNEY NOT A PARKING LOT - IT'S ABOUT SAVING AND BEING SAVED. IT'S ABOUT LOVING WHO YOU LOVE - SUPPORT - TRUST - RESPECT AND IT'S ABOUT A GREAT BIG WARM HUG AND THAT PERFECT KISS THAT YOU NEVER FORGET. IT'S ABOUT THE MAGICAL MOMENTS THAT OFTEN LIVE IN THE SHADOWS BECAUSE LIFE IS TOUGH AND WE ALL STRUGGLE WITH SOMETHING OR SOMEONE - ITS ABOUT APPRECIATING THOSE MOMENTS WHEN THEY COME OUT INTO THE LIGHT AND EVERYTHING SHINES - THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR

AND THE #1 THING YOUR DOG WANTS TO TELL YOU:

#1 - THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME - I AM GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE SAVING YOU.





Saturday

DEEP THOUGHTS FROM A DOG



If you let me drive, I will let you stick your head out the window.

I chase my tail because it is always sneaking up on me.

I only eat one shoe or one sock because I like to save the other one for later.

I know if I stand under you in the kitchen – sooner or later you will drop some food – crumbs count.

I have a feeling about everyone who visits our home and if you watch carefully you will see it in my body language and my eyes and I am always right.

If you stuff my Kong with cookies and cheese I will wash the windows with my tongue.

I did not sleep under the sheets when you were out but I am wondering if you would consider flannel because I found the cotton a bit flimsy.

If you take me to the park I will show you how to make new friends. It starts with smelling stranger’s butts and it only gets better from there.






Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest - You've posted me all over the internet - how about a little privacy?

I am tired of walking around naked all the time so I try on your clothes while you are at work.

I know you told me not to use the computer but I haven't had a date in I don't know how long so I went onto a dating site and created a fake profile for myself and then I went onto another dating site and created a fake profile for you.

Let's see who gets lucky first. 


I know when you are sad and I know when you are happy and when you are sad I am sad and when you are happy I am happy.

I know you saved me and I will spend the rest of my life saving you.


Sunday

TAKE A CHANCE ON A DOG



We take chances every day. Actually we take chances every second of every day - we just don't realize it and we therefore do not always weigh the consequences.

We take chances in allowing ourselves to fall in love for the first time. We are vulnerable and we let someone into our deepest, darkest secrets and share with them the most intense of intimacies - love making.





Many people believe that life is but a chance. It may sound Shakespearean but think about it... how many times has something happened to you that seemed like less than a coincidence? Maybe it all is one big chance sort of like leaping over a large puddle between the corner of the street and the road and you either end up in a smash landing or you make it safe and dry onto the sidewalk.

It's sometimes good to take chances because in taking them we change the path we are on and turn onto something new and refreshing and we even discover a part of ourselves that had been hidden or lost. Other times we take chances and well, we don't do so well with them but at least we tried.

When we were young, we constantly took chances - we were the greatest "risk takers" ever. That's because we were curious and we were doing most things for the first time. It's exhilarating and scary all at once to take a chance and to do something new. Chances help us learn. We learn what it feels like to fail and what it feels like to succeed. We take chances again and again no matter how many times things do not turn out as planned.

Sometimes we find ourselves asking a friend, "Should I take that chance?" Although usually when we are asking we already know how much of a chance we are willing to take.

Here's a little story for you about "Chance". Many years ago, a friend of mine (let's call him Harry)was driving to his cottage on a snowy, winter's night. He was on a dark road and the snow began to fall heavily, so much so that there was barely any visibility. He had a choice, he could either continue driving and take a chance of possibly having an accident or he could stop by the side of the road and wait the storm out. As he was pondering this decision, he saw a parking lot on his left. He recognized the abandoned property as a former B&B that his parents took him to when he was little for the best banana and chocolate chip pancakes.

He parked and chose to get out of his car and seek shelter under the awning at the front of the building. Once he was there, he chose to see if the front door was unlocked and it was so he crept inside lighting his way with his cell phone.

There was a ghastly stench of must and rotted food. He could see the breakfast benches and dining room had pretty much remained intact. Suddenly he felt something run by his feet and then he saw it moving under a table. He had a choice, he could run like hell and get back to the safety of his car or he could beam his flashlight app from his phone under the table.

He bent down and found a dog, his fur matted, his leg cut and bleeding, shivers running through him and no tags. He had a choice, he could leave the dog there and not bother with him or he could carry him out to his car. He chose to take the dog with him. He carefully lifted him and carried him in his arms. The snow had subsided and the road was clearly visible. He placed the dog in the back seat and put the heat on full blast. Then he got in the back seat and covered the dog with a blanket and held him close. The dog was shivering and short of breath. Harry hoped that he was not going to die in his arms but if he did, at least he would not die alone.

Within 30 minutes or so, the dog was almost completely respondent and sitting up placing his muzzle into Harry's neck. He was leaning his entire weight into Harry's side and he moved toward his face and gave him a big, wet kiss. Harry drove off and they arrived at his cottage shortly thereafter. Once the house was lit up and warmed by a crackling fire, Harry placed the dog in the bath tub and gave him a good scrub down, dried him and bandaged his cut. Then the dog suddenly appeared in his entirety and Harry was able to recognize that he was some variation of a Golden Retriever. He had chocolate brown eyes, a coat that looked like it has been sprinkled with brown sugar and a tail disproportionatally large for his body. His left eye was partially splashed with a white blaze that made its way down to his nose.

Throughout the next week Harry visited all the local shelters, police stations and posted signs but no one called to reclaim the dog. Harry felt badly for whomever had lost him but it seemed more likely he had been purposely left out in the snow to fend for himself. It didn't take long at all for Harry and the dog to grow closer. He decided to name the dog and in doing so to recognize that this was now his dog and his dog only.

He named him "Chance" because that's what he initially was - a chance that Harry decided to take. And for the "Chance" that choice saved his life.

I would have taken that chance - would you?

It's hard to say what chances we will or won't take because as much as we think we weigh the consequences, we are actually quite impulsive when our emotions are in play and when another "being" is part of the chance, it's all about emotion in the end.

I am all for taking chances. Most of life adventures have come my way because of the chances I have taken. I'm not afraid of losing because no matter how many times I do, it's the winning that brings me back to chance time and time again.

Chances...take them, don't take them, but never underestimate them because in doing so you are underestimating yourself. And who knows? There may just be a goofy, brown sugared Retriever out there waiting for you to take that chance.

Wednesday

STUFF I TELL MY DOG



I talk to my dog all the time – in private and in public.

He is an excellent listener although easily distracted by squirrels, trucks and women – he is quite the Casanova.

I talk to him a lot before going to bed at night in the darkness when all of the sad / scary moments of my life past and present tend to creep up on me.

I tell him my fears – of being alone forever – of my chronic illness getting worse – of losing my last living parent.

I repeat the story of how we met at the shelter where I was volunteering. I arrived to walk as many dogs as possible – giving them a break from noise and discomfort. There you were being chased in circles and humped by a larger dog – all of your 12 lbs beneath a hefty 20+. I placed the other dog behind the reception desk and I picked you up and carried you around until you calmed down.

From that moment on you followed me throughout my shift. If my back was to you - you tugged at my shirt with your teeth and if I sat down you were in my lap within seconds. 

You were clearly telling me that I was not to leave the shelter without you. So I decided to foster you for the weekend as I had done with other dogs.





You turned out to be a “keeper” and a wonderful, warm gift. I saved you and you saved me.


I also talk to him about the other dogs I have had in my life and how much I miss them and how difficult it was to say goodbye.

 I think of each and every one of my dogs every day. I remember all of the wonderful walks, talks, adventures and all the love we shared in their way too short lifetimes.

Sometimes I tell him something funny or disturbing that happened in a given day and I talk to him about the upcoming weekend and all that we are going to do together.

I always tell him if a holiday is coming up that will lengthen our weekend and time together.

I ask him if he has friends over while I am at work or if he heads out and goes shopping for kongs and rawhide. 

There’s this magical moment that often occurs when I am talking to him. He looks me right in the eye as if he understands everything and he is so thankful for that moment we are sharing together.



"Whisky - you are my Saturday night, my New Year’s Eve, my weekend, my co-pilot – you are my everything and walking through life without you would be like walking through life without my soul".






What stuff do you tell your dog?






Saturday

I AM A SHELTER DOG AND THIS IS MY STORY


Fall 2014/Montreal/

My name is Whiskey.

I am a Jack Russel/Chihuahua mix and an all around nice guy.

I wasn't always alone.

I had a family.

They bought me from a pet store when I was 4 months old and took me home and raised me and provided me with love and comfort.

I lived with them for 2.5 years and I loved them very much.

Three weeks ago my mother started to cry and continued to do so most nights before bed. I tried my best to comfort her but to no avail. Something was up but I had no way of understanding how it would affect me and how fast it was coming down.

Then that weekend came when they put all of our belongings in boxes. My mother and father were talking loud to one another and seemed distant. 

My brothers and sisters kissed and hugged me goodbye and begged their parents to reconsider this painful decision. They surrounded me, trying to protect me but it didn't work.

My last car ride with my mother was to a noisy place with lots of smells. There were other dogs there, barking and yelping. I sensed sadness. I sensed an ending.

My bed was no longer in the corner of the living room by the window. My stuff wasn't anywhere.

My mother had a long talk with the woman at the counter. She smelled the same as the place and had a very serious tone to her voice.  My mother filled out some paperwork, she cried throughout. I leaned against her and tried to comfort her but all she could do was hug me and kiss me and then she was gone.

I was escorted to a small room where a nice man examined me. He seemed upset and in a hurry. 

Then he brought me into a large room where there were all these other dogs - big - small - barking - howling - terribly unhappy.

I was placed in a cage, while the larger dogs were in pens. There was a water bowl and a blanket. There was a layer of newspaper that reminded me of me of when I was a puppy.

I was completely confused and felt this must be a horrible mistake and my parents would be coming back for me. Hours turned into days and there was no sign of the people who had been my only family.

I reflected on the past few weeks trying to figure out if I had done something terribly wrong to deserve to be left at the shelter. I hadn't really done anything that I could think of to deserve being abandoned. 

I don't feel like myself here. I only get to go on a few short walks - and the person walking me is usually on his phone the entire time. I don't get to go off leash and run around in the park and I am not being hugged or kissed or even looked in the eye.

I don't get to play with the other dogs. We are all kept separate. I guess there is a reason for that but it is unfortunate because we are all in the same situation and could probably provide comfort and friendship to one another.

I wonder if they had families too and how they ended up here. 

I really want to go home. I want to feel the sun on my face and I want to breathe fresh air. I want to sleep in my bed and wake up jumping all over my brothers and sisters - so excited to share another day with them. I want to lay next to my mom while she watches TV and pats my head. 

I can only hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

I woke up this morning and there was this woman on her knees observing me. She was talking to me in a low comforting voice. I am not sure what she was saying but the intonation was friendly and inviting.

I chose her before she chose me.

She left and came back with the guy who gives me my food. The best part was that he was holding a leash which meant I was going for a walk.

They both went outside with me and they were talking a lot and looking at me. We walked to a nearby park and they sat on a bench while I breathed in the fresh air and gathered as much as I could from all the action around me. I had forgotten what it was to be curious because I had not been stimulated in a while. I was so enjoying watching the kids play and the birds and squirrels. 

We walked back to the shelter and the guy went inside and me and the woman sat outside. She started talking to me. It sounded reassuring and positive although I did not know what she meant.

Then she walked me up to the same reception desk where my mother had abandoned me.

She also filled out paperwork and talked a lot to the lady there - I was sad to return to the shelter - I could not stand the smell or feel of it any longer and I really felt like giving up but then something wonderful happened.

The woman gave me a hug and a kiss and she walked me out of the shelter and into her car. She spoke in a high, excited, captivating voice and she kept kissing me and petting me.

We ended up at her house - I knew it was hers because I already knew her smell and the house had the same scent plus a million more.

She already had a food and water bowl for me in the kitchen and lots of toys including a few jumbo Kongs, filled with cookies.

I had this feeling I was not going back to the shelter and that was confirmed when she invited me onto the couch to watch TV. I wasn't sure if I would be able to trust a human again after having been abandoned by what I thought was my permanent family; but I had a good feeling about her and so I chose to open up my heart and my mind.

That night we went for a walk around the neighbourhood. We stopped to talk to lots of nice people and they all knelt down and introduced themselves to me. 

Then we returned home and although I had a bed set up on the floor - she invited me to sleep in her bed. So I hopped up and we cuddled and she kissed my head and I knew everything was going to be alright.

I guess there is a reason for everything.

I realize I am lucky that I was saved from the shelter while other dogs were stuck there behind bars.

I will forever be thankful to my new mom. I will love her everyday and be there for her when she is sad or confused or scared. I will put her above and beyond everything in my life because I am a dog and that is what I do.
             
Pictured below - Whiskey Cohen - He rescued Me in 2014                        


         SAVE A DOG AND A DOG WILL SAVE YOU



















Friday

A DOG FOR EVERY MOMENT OF MY LIFE


For every moment of my life there has been a dog by my side.

Every laugh, every tear.

The moments I saw coming and the ones that jumped me from behind.

The relationships I thought would last forever that did not last at all.

The accomplishments and the failures.

The beginning - the middle and the end.

The cold snowy days.

The warm summer days.

The leaves falling.

The birth of a child.

The death of a parent.

The sleepless nights.

The times I tried to change and start over just to find myself in the same place again.

The times I fell in love.

The times I fell out of love.

The many different lives I have lived thus far in this one life.

All of it - every moment - everything lost - everything gained

               
There has been a dog by my side.

Better than any friend or relative.

A love that surpasses all love.

Eyes that sparkle and eventually fade leaving my soul vacant and nothing but a collar in my hand.

But knowing - that for every moment of my life 

There has been and there always will be... 

                                   A DOG




               R.I.P. Gainey - you will forever be by my side







Saturday

SAYING GOODBYE TO YOUR DOG



Dogs are incredible souls.

They are gifts.

We don’t have them for long but while we do have them they bless and enrich our lives. They love us from the time we bring them home until the light leaves their eyes and we become so accustomed to having them around that without them our lives become silent and empty.


                                                    Buster (2007-2010) F*ck Cancer

Dogs don’t care if you are fat or skinny, old or young, having a really bad hair day or if you are rich or poor.

They just love you.

They miss you the second you leave the house and they are there to greet you the second you open the door.

They think that the greatest thing in the whole wide world (aside from rawhide) is spending time with you.

They are funny not knowing they are funny and not meaning to be funny.

They each have their own unique personalities and traits. Some like to eat your socks, others your shoes, some bark, some talk and others hump the couch but it seems no matter what they do or destroy, your love for them grows and grows.

A dog is the best kind of friend.

They listen, they don’t talk back, they remain neutral when you are discussing an incident, they let you make your own decisions, they stay by your side when you are sick or sad or both, they give freely of their affection including mega-kisses and they always want to play with you.

They know your deepest darkest secrets. They have seen everything. They protect and guard you and they watch you even when you don’t realize they are watching you.

There’s a light, a sparkle, in their eyes that remains brightly lit. They are forever curious and compassionate and they accept and love you always.

You love your dog and when the time comes for his/her journey to end whether it is prematurely from Cancer or late in their lives from age, you honour and respect them by doing what is best for them - not for you.

For anyone who has held their dog in their arms through his/her very last breaths, you know that there is nothing quite as painful, hurtful and grueling as letting them go.

You would do anything to extend their lives and wish you could keep them forever and ever but they are precious beings that sprinkle some magic ferry dust upon our existence and eventually that dust blows away and goes to a far better place.

Saying goodbye to your dog is the only negative factor in the otherwise over the top love fest that grabs you by the hand and pulls you onto the floor for the dance of a lifetime.



It sways and jives around and around in a warm wonderful circle that makes our lives whole and teaches us about love and how much of it we are capable of giving and sharing.