To the Dogs

“To the Dogs” is a phrase usually reserved to describe a continually eroding situation. The economy is going to the dogs as is that abandoned building across the street. Today, however, I use the phrase as a salute to our canine companions.

Of all the domesticated critters, the dog occupies the highest rung on the ladder of loyalty. And for good reason. Beat a dog, make a dog sleep in the cold and wet, expect unreasonable behaviors: it matters not for the tail continues to wag in a never-ending display of unconditional love.

Dogs provide an opportunity for each of us to grow as humans if only we observe and adapt our ways to more closely mirror theirs. Take joy in a walk with a friend. Discover the pleasure of an afternoon nap. Live in the moment. Forget your ego. I’ll grant you that some of these are not possible in a hectic, 24/7 schedule. It’s just as good, perhaps, to keep the ideas in the back of our minds and take advantage of one when the opportunity arises.

Some are now thinking, “Yeah, well you haven’t had the experience that I’ve had with a dog.” Yes, many have been bitten (hopefully no more than once to at least prove the old adage). Think of other scenarios that have turned out badly. I’d say that many of them involve another person. Have you similarly shunned the human race? I doubt it, but cannot argue that some dogs pose a significant obstacle to the kind of relationship I describe. Not impossible, though.

You see, dogs are easier to rehabilitate. One need look no further than those associated with Michael Vick’s dog fighting operation. These were canines trained to kill another of their kind yet all 49 are now in foster homes with other dogs and, in some cases, children. Exceptional therapists? I’d be more inclined to point to an exceptional attitude and underlying desire to please within the patient.

No, dogs are there through thick and thin. Stop feeding them and they’ll sit at your door waiting for a scrap or a pat of some kind. Dogs will meet your gaze and return it with some sort of comprehension and the assurance that they will always remain true. Dogs will interrupt their nap to sit at your side. They revel in your happiness and sit quietly to comfort you in times of sadness.

I’ve had the pleasure of a dog’s company for over half of my life and am presently surrounded by three. Each has a different personality, but they all share the same devotion found lacking in our human world. No hidden agenda or secret goal. A simple, unadulterated admiration. If only we could attain such an altruistic height.

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes and each breed has unique traits. I’d say that is to provide a plethora of choices for would-be owners. Rescue operations even place dogs in a home on a trial basis to ensure a good fit. Not even allergies can eliminate a dog from your life as some breeds are hypoallergenic.

 I know, lifestyle and other such considerations are used to rationalize the absence of a canine from any household. There’s always a way. We can even skirt public laws by designating our dogs as “assistance” or “therapy” animals thus allowing access to otherwise off-limits venues. (I’m thinking of getting an assistance coat for one of my guys and telling folks I’m allergic to B.S. Soon afterward I can say, “Oops, he’s alerting me that I’m near B.S. and I must excuse myself!”)

The only thing a dog asks in return for undivided attention and unquestionable loyalty is to be spared from the pain of disease or old age. It seems that few dogs die naturally. They find a way to hang on one more day. I’d like to think it is out of allegiance to their human companions. Regardless, it falls to us all too often to make the final decision and bring a magnificent life to a peaceful end. It is never easy and subsequent passings are no easier, but it is the most noble thing we can do for our beloved canines.

Trust me: a relationship with a good dog cannot be duplicated in any other relationship with any other living thing. And within even the most cantankerous or mistreated canine is a “good dog”. So raise your glass and join me in a toast: To the dogs!

Time To Go!

If you’ve ever owned a dog, you have probably gone through the experience of putting your canine friend down. Dogs just don’t seem to pass away on their own. Perhaps it is due to the allegiance they exhibit towards their owners. It is not a fun time by any measure, but it is essential in holding up your end of the bargain: a lifetime of unconditional love and, in return, no needless suffering on the part of your pet. I’ve played my part in this play on more than one occasion and have thought that we deal with our pets in a more humane way than our human loved ones. And this sentiment is often echoed when the conversation turns to subjects of this nature. There are six states where assisted suicide is not considered a crime and only Oregon allows for a physician’s involvement. So why is it that we are allowed to treat our dogs with such kindness and not our loved ones of the human persuasion?

For one main reason: they’re dogs! Dogs possess the trait that mankind has yet to conquer: unconditional love. Hell, if it were not for the lack of an opposable thumb, dogs might well rule the world and maybe the world would be a better place for it . Beat a dog or love one, at the end of the day he rests his head in your lap looking for some confirmation of the bond between the two of you. No agenda, no ulterior motive. Pure, simple love and companionship with no expectation. And dogs own nothing, so nothing is gained by their departure from this world. These are the reasons why we can treat our canines better than our clan.

The key word in the above-mentioned legislation allowing someone’s hand in their own passing is “assisted”. You see, unconditional love is rare in people and without it the nobility of decisions of this sort disappears. You know the scenario: “Well, Dad (or Mom or Uncle Harry or whomever) sure as hell wouldn’t want to be in this coma, so let’s put him down.” Now, Dad, et al, can designate a decider in cases of this type should Dad find someone to trust with such a choice, but that should be the extent of it. You see, we can make a good decision for our pet because our pet’s love has been unconditional and nothing is gained by our decision. Human love, though, is much more complicated and includes those nasty agendas, expectations, and ulterior motives.

Sad, but true: given the opportunity, many of us humans would let money and power and greed of other kinds enter into the when’s and how’s of the demise of those naming us in their wills. No such thing as unconditional here, folks. Most of us are worth more dead than alive anyway, and the last thing we need is some inheritor moving up our day of reckoning. And there’s no way to tell the nobles from the ne’er-do-wells until the moment arrives.

I sometimes kid my wife and tell her that I’m afraid to take a nap for fear of her having me declared dead! “That’s right, officer. Get him on that embalming table right now because I know that’s what he’d want!” Yes, it’s all in fun (I hope), but too many times life imitates art.

So do the right thing by your dog and keep him from the painful infirmities of old age or disease. But don’t get too carried away in hoping for similar vehicles on the human side of things. We simply have not evolved to that point yet. My parents once described an ever-increasing hectic world as one “going to the dogs”. In another sense, it may not be a bad idea.