DOGS! Our Best Friend

But is mankind dog’s best friend!

I personally have a great dog named Aspen – her name came from the colour of Aspen Trees in the fall, and she is my service dog. When first training Aspen I was told all the rules about how she was to be in behavior! It seemed, I ought to relinquish my “Real Life Dog” for a robot!”

Aspen became my best friend and service dog for immense bodily injuries and somewhat of a guard dog. Aspen knows when someone is around that is not favorable! This is when Aspen will let out a very slight woof and low inaudible growl, this allows me to be aware of my surroundings and, “I depend on my Dog’s alerts!”

This activity is natural for dogs, yet we demand much more from dogs these days which are not in accordance to the natural behavior of dogs. Another article set me wondering, are we turning everything in life, including our beloved dogs into AI? And my answer, to my horror, was YES!!

Reading through the well written article, the writer visited a trainer with a “Real Dog” whose behavior was beyond reproach. The dog sat, walk by the trainers’ side without a tug, stood in place for extended period of time – as it if were a machine and then allowed to come to the trainer and continue its obedience. Never was the dog’s name mentioned, seemed it did not have an identity! A frightening chill came over me as I read through the article! The expected behavior was overdone without regard to the human criteria of having “Man’s Best Friend” as a joyful – happy companion – who is still well behaved. Remember, Dogs are smart and their awareness is more heightened than our human acknowledgment!

This was a serious observation!

This is my Aspen

She is joyous, obedient, loves to hike, run down hills catching her ball in midair, sleep on my bed – while in public making everyone smile at her twinkling eyes!

A completely natural response in feeling joy. And I was robbing life from others and my beloved dog!!

What I found after reading the article, I was expecting all too much from Aspen and taking away natural joy in her life by my giving her too many commands!”

I felt horrible!

Aspen is my thread of calmness in a difficult world in the last two plus years. She is with me all the time except when I shower!

From hence forth these last few weeks, I am allowing people to gaze at her and smile, Aspen is a Service Dog who conjures smiles and deep joyous memories, how dare I steal these wondrous feelings from others and from my Service Dog who Twinkles!

AI rules have gone to far and we have forgotten how to be truly interactive caring humans with each other and our beloved Dogs!

A slight sidebar on these facts: We have an overabundance of people in therapy, to the point where the therapists require therapy! We humans have turned to animals for the comfort we once found in each other and our lives. Dogs are in our cars, dangerously in the driver’s lap at times, yet this denotes our extreme needs are not being met in normal venues. Worse, we are subjecting unreasonable public manners on our dogs. Where is the comfortable medium of life where we all live?

When I call any company, institution or person, personally I am stealing myself to have to deal with “That Horrible Automation!” Another reason why our blood pressure and heart rates are escalating these days! Then if by chance, a real life person answers – I personally stammer with joyous relief; “It’s not a bot! My frustration getting through to a human is met with gratitude! “We all calm immediately!” Why are we continually exploding more with BOTS which accelerate our unhappiness and wellbeing in life?

When in the park and tossing the ball for exercise before walking, Aspen loves her time off on green grass, the water issue became an issue! I did not like the “All Dog Water Bowl” they would get dirty all too quickly, or another dog might be more assertive with their need for water. I tried the squeeze water bottle with unfolding rubber bowl, that did not work. Finally finding the collapsible bowls, purchasing several pink – turquoise – purple bowls which appear to be flat dishes, easy to clip to my jean loop, became the easy watering venue for Aspen’s thirst everywhere. Yet this took me over a year searching for the right item that was comfortable for my dogs’ needs. “Aspen has needs and I must be careful not to be selfish because of her title, “Service Dog!”

When walking, dogs naturally use their nose to smell how safe they are, what is familiar, “circling around and around where to pee!” Now and the rest of our life together, Aspen is allowed with some mild boundaries, to smell the trees, grass, sidewalks as we walk. Dogs need to be dogs, give some leniency, they are not robots.

Our best moments are when a dog is allowed to be completely a dog, Aspen enjoyed alfalfa with my beloved Arabian horse, they were buddies before my Arabian died. Please, enjoy this YouTube of two calm wonderful animal family members being who they are, dog and horse sharing.

(KlassicAmir & Aspen eating Alf

Another idea for your dogs since humans often do not have good boundaries. For a shy dog, or rather large dogs who are in training, all possibilities run the gamut with Humans and their Dogs – set up an immediate “watch out warning sign,” TIE a Yellow Bow/Ribbon on their lead or collar. This is a warning sign which started in the last decade or so, stating “Boundaries Please!”

When dogs are newly adopted, there are constraints learning a new life. Remember, dogs are emotional, quick to react and protective or recoil. It does not matter if dogs are of service, or a retired war veteran, we must respect their boundaries.

At restaurants waiting for her meal, a burger and only the best, grass fed Angus, (I’m a lifelong veggie!) This is Aspen, calm – watching for the server to deliver her meal at Raglin’s Market in Gunbarrel.

Aspen is well behaved naturally!

We both have a duty to each other and this must come from the most important part of our relationship in life – Love & Consideration! I must make allowances for a little bark when she is startled or giving me a warning sign. Yes, Aspen is a Service Dog with “Personality.

Our relationship is not all focused on my injuries and needs, instead, a loving partnership, Aspen is not AI or a BOT! She is a loving, twinkling, woofing, feeling, happy, highly intelligent Dog.

And both of our lives meld – working together with allowances – I, the injured human recognizes Aspen my loving Dog to be a Dog, to adequately meet her needs lending to a happy life for both of us. Aspen knows when to warn me, due to the three hundred million olfactory receptors in her nose. Thereby, we both enjoy a better life relationship. “Enjoy your dog being a dog – they have much to teach us humans!”