Animals As Our Guides

“I never really trusted a person that didn’t like animals.” This is something that my father used to say a lot as I was growing up. Certainly I couldn’t fully appreciate what he meant until I grew up and experienced firsthand the difference between those that like animals and those that don’t. Its one thing not to own an animal, something all together different to not like them at all.

Our pets teach us things, how to be loved unconditionally, how to relax, how to let go of the small stuff, how to be responsible, and just how to be “real”. Certainly one of the most important things they teach us is empathy. They don’t let us get away with much either. Sometimes our pets act as our guides. This is the really special stuff that they are good at and if we are lucky enough and if we listen closely enough, they will tell us things that are really nifty!.

I think horses and dogs are particularly worthy of the “guide” title. I have so many wonderful stories and personal experiences where my horses, especially Alex, have guided me or taught me something. This particular  “guide accounting” however, involves my dog Roxie.

She is a 12 year Lab Sheppard mix. She was recently diagnosed with cancer. She has a tumor on her heart. About 3 weeks ago, the vet said she had about a month or so to go and that we were to take her home, love on her and make her comfortable; she isn’t in any pain. Anyone that loves a dog, horse, cat or any animal, knows how difficult this sort of news can be. My mantra “you can’t have animals or children without heartache.” They bring us so much joy and yet at times and at some point in our mutual existence, we will experience heartache because of them. We love them and are connected to them. There is no escaping the joy and no escaping the pain.

I have learned to listen especially close these past couple of weeks. Roxie has to go out often, doesn’t sleep terribly well and often gets up in the middle of the night. One night a couple of weeks ago, she had gone out and was hopefully asleep for the night. When she awakened again and “bothered me” to go out, I told her to “lay down girl.” This didn’t work as it usually does. She began to pace and bark. I nudged my husband to get up and let her out. He did and in a few minutes he came running back in and said the words a horse owner never wants to hear, particularly when it is storming out, “the horses are out!” Alex, my mule and donkey had gotten out! Had Roxie not warned us, who knows what would have happened. My other two dogs, two kids and my husband and I were oblivious. We hadn’t heard a thing!.  And me with the “mother’s hearing”. What was even more interesting was as we were running around in the storm, rounding them up, Roxie was doing her best to herd them. Keep in mind this dog is on her last legs and has always had a bad back etc etc. She was amazing. What allowed her to be aware that the horses were out and not the rest of us, I don’t know.  Not sure I need to question such things.

And as you are reading this you may say to yourself, “big deal…she’s a dog… dogs have acute hearing… its in their nature…”, or, “It was all a coincidence.”  Maybe. I guess you have to ask yourself, are you the kind of person who thinks events such as this are coincidence or are you the sort person that believes in “signs”. Do you believe that our animals can guide us, teach us and inevitably help us? My father believed this and I certainly do. I don’t know what sort of person I would be if I didn’t listen to them. If I weren’t opened to what they were saying. If I didn’t let them guide me. Not sure I want to find out.  I know one thing, I wouldn’t like that sort of person…………..neither would my dad.