The Life Changing Dog

Every good dog person I know has had a Life Changing Dog. It may not be the first dog, or the best, they may not have even owned the dog, but it changed their life. Stories about these dogs may include those that saved their life, died tragically, or simply given them the unconditional love that we have all craved since childhood. In some cases, The Life Changing Dog has been the one that bridged a traumatic change in life, such as the loss of a loved one, or as one person told me, the loss of her legs.

The stories people have shared with me sometimes cover loneliness or abuse that had no ear other than what the dog provided. They felt free to share the secrets of their life to a non-judgemental and accepting friend. There was a kinship that came with the secret, knowing it would never be betrayed.

Most of the time, The Life Changing Dog brings out qualities that we already possess, but may not have come to the fore front of our persona. Many times, I've heard training students say they've come to believe in themselves, or can finally reach out because their dog has provided some sort of unspoken connection. There seems to be an empowerment that comes with a caring, an opening of a secret part of the soul. It became not about the dog, but about life, relationships, and overcoming fear.

Some anthropologists propose that we may have paralleled our lives with the canids for as long as 100,000 years, indeed that we may never have evolved without them. In some period, we went from utilizing the hunting skills of a wolf to the companion animals we have today. They are certainly our oldest cooperative relationship with another species.

In that time, we have created an animal that does not fare well without us. They still have so many characteristics of their ancestors, yet need us if not to survive, then certainly to thrive. We bred an animal that looks to us for leadership and care. I propose that in the same period in which we created the dog, we also created a human that is better off for having dogs in our lives. We lead longer, healthier and happier lives with a dog at our side. There are definite benefits from sharing our environment with this unrelated species.

In future posts, we can discuss dogs, training, the human-animal bond and the stories of our Life Changing Dogs. I'd like to hear yours, please tell me about them. What is the story? What did you learn? How did you change? Has your Life Changing Dog made you a better person, improved your world or taught you in their silent way, the important lessons of life?

I'd like to collect these into a volume. If I use your story, you'll get credit. Make sure you include an email or other contact information for a possible reply. I look forward to hearing from you and for being the collector if you will, of stories of The Life Changing Dog.