What Dogs Teach Us

[canesisters]

This all happened during a time when I was struggling hard with why there seemed to be so many 'rules' to the Christian life.
A few months after Bob passed away a border collie X stray literally dropped into my life. I decided to adopt him. Gilligan went on a walkabout almost every day. My road is a main shortcut between 2 highways and is BUSY with fast moving trucks. The woods can be dangerous. The neighbors can be dangerous. My fencing is just post & board with a line of electric that kept the other dogs in just fine. Gilligan just ran through the ZAP and went off on his daily hike. I tried putting in woven wire, he climbed it. Woven wire WITH electric, he dug under or sailed over.
Finally I dropped $200 on the 'underground' radio fence system. Set at maximum range would get him shocked 4' away from the fence. I laid it on the ground about 2 feed inside the fence so that he would get warned about 6' from the fence, warned again 5' from the fence and then zapped before he even got to the wooden fence.
I put up all the little flags. I followed the instructions to walk him on leash for a few days and give a verbal correction with a short yank on the leash anytime he triggered the audible warning until he began to jump back from the warning on his own.
Then I took the leash off, stood on the porch and turned him loose.
True to his nature, he took off to the far side of the yard, looked over his shoulder to see if I was going to try to stop him and bolted for the fence.
I stood there cringing and whispering "Don't do it Gilligan... You know better.. You're going to get hurt. Please don't do it....
Sure enough, I heard the beep-beep-beep and I jumped with him when the collar shocked him. He JUMPED back, whirled around and FLEW back to the porch to cower against my legs. As I sat there holding him and telling him that I was sorry he had gotten shocked and that it wasn't because I wanted to keep him from all the fun of running in the woods but that I wanted to keep him safe from all the dangers that he had no way to understand.... I almost heard the 'click' in my own head.
God has used my desire to protect and provide for my animals to teach me a lot about His desire to provide for and protect me.

 

[Nyboy]

Many years ago I had a young couple with a dalmatian named Scotter for clients. He was a Greek priest named Peter his wife was Vangie. Scotter did not know he was a dalmatian he was calm sweet and well behaved. Father Peter and Vangie had a baby, the baby was born with severe brain damage. They where told the baby would need 24 hour care its whole life and would never learn to do simple things like feed his self. The first year the parents took their baby to DRs all over the country, their dog was in kennel when they did. One day my partner Mike asked father Peter how the baby was, his reply was the baby is always smiling and laughing they where blessed to have such a happy child. When the baby was about 2 years old father peter was offered a church in upstate Connecticut they moved away and I never heard from them. About 10 years later my partner died unexpectedly day after Thanksgiving. He had bred one of his dogs 2 days before passing, a sweet Cavalier King Charles . By the time she gave birth I was in a very dark place and not sure where I wanted my life to go. Then one day I got a call from father Peter. He told me they just lost scotter to old age, their son did not understand what happened, he asked me if I knew any dalmatian breeders. I told him Scotter did not know he was a dalmatiian, with their son they where much better off with a another breed. I told him I had a litter of cavalier puppies Mike had bred right before he died that would be the perfect dog for his son. He said he would love one of the puppies but he knew they where very expensive and could not afford one. The next words out of my mouth was puppy is a gift to your son from Mike say a prayer for him every Thanksgiving. Father Peter said he would pray for both of us and not just on Thanksgiving. The puppies still had to stay with their mom for a couple of weeks. I said I would pick out the gentlest puppy for them. Out of the 6 puppies I picked out a small male who seemed the gentlest. Before the puppies go to their new homes I crate train them. The puppies are in a large crate in my puppy room, when I open the door to crate puppies know it is ether food or play time, its a mad rush out the door. 6 puppies tring to get out the door at same time is avalanche of puppies. Father Peter had to attend a workshop in NYC he would be passing kennel and wanted to meet puppy for 1st time. I remember him walking in black suit and white neck collar. I warned him when I opened the crate door it would be a free for all of puppies. I opened the door and something I still cant believe happened. The puppy for his family jumped up ran out right to father Peter, but not one of the other puppies moved from crate, it was like something was stopping them. I kept telling father peter how I never had this happen before. Only his puppy came out to greet .him. The puppy is now a old dog very loved by the family.

 

[baymule]

These are great! Keep 'em coming!

 

[Nyboy]

I really believe Holly the dog i gave my dad is keeping him alive. I just hope they go together like Selma and Louise. one will be lost without the other.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I'm teary eyed...I so believe...

 

[so lucky]

There is a book called Angel Dogs I believe, that is full of stories similar to this. You can't get through it with out bursting into tears about something.

 

[digitS']

Dogs in shelters:

unemployed angels

?

Stephen