Loyalty



A very good friend of mine sent me an email yesterday; it was filled with images of dogs and people, the subject was loyalty.  The images were most definitely touching, heartfelt type moments captured and portraying the very essence of the relationship that many of us have with our dogs.  Just this morning while my husband was eating breakfast we were discussing my second bout of poison ivy on my face when he said "Luke and Elsa don't care."  No they don't and I'm glad of it.

What is loyalty anyway as far as our dogs are concerned?  For me loyalty is having a constant shadow; where I go, my dogs go.  It doesn't matter what I am doing; they are there to do it along with me, by my side.  At 11.5 Luke is slowing down, it is sad but true so I often tell him that I'm coming right back.  It pains me to watch him get up off the couch to follow me upstairs when I'm just turning around in a moment.   So I tell him "I'm coming back," and he is getting it.  Of course it is tough for him to stay put when he sees Elsa fly up the stairs after me.  I will often come go to him and have a good snuggle after I come back down making it well worth staying put for him.

Now that we are in Connecticut I bring my dogs with me much more often.  I will NEVER bring the dogs in the car if it is even remotely warm but have enjoyed taking them to lots of places in the Connecticut winter.  I also don't bring my dogs with me if I'm going to be lingering for any length of time.  Being an overprotective Mama; I don't risk anything with my loved ones and that includes my dogs.  They give me their loyalty and I give them mine.  It goes both ways, or at least it should.  Funny how we never think about it that way.

It is all about connection; for me there is nothing better than the connection between a human and their dog.  When I'm out and about I see it often; I also see a lack of it as well.  I hate when I see the lack of a connection and think about what the human is missing out on not to mention what the dog is missing.  The other day I was at an open new open space walking my two when I glanced over into a yard that was on the edge of the field.  There was a dog house and sure enough that wooden box had the telltale chain attached to the back steps that lead inside.  I couldn't see the dog inside but knew it was in there.  Really?

The whole scene boggles my mind; a dog house with a dog chained inside?  What is the point?  Neither party involved with this scenario is extracting anything but sadness from it.   The scene before me was like one out of the history books, something I'd not seen in so very long.  I know that it is a reality for many dogs but I'm just not witness to it often making it a shocking reminder that not all humans are loyal.

Our dogs are loyal beyond belief; even when their humans are not, a dog will give us their all.  But loyalty should go both ways; we owe our dogs as much as we expect from them.  They are truly mans best friend but sadly the human race has dropped the ball as far as dogs best friend.

When I sit on one of our big leather chairs; with Luke on my lap, his head buried under my chin I often think about the people and dogs who don't have this type of connection.  Loyalty is good thing.  How lucky am I to  share my life with my dogs?  They were brought into our family as strangers; but within a very short time we are one.

If all humans could be as loyal as the canine, just imagine.

3 comments:

  1. Virginia TheNurseWednesday, March 07, 2012

    YOu are SO right!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Y'all,

    Unfortunately, especially in rural areas, many people think that any 4 legged animal with hair should never be allowed in the house. Some also think that it is cruel to tie them...thus they run loose and end up getting killed on a road, lost or picked up by a kill shelter.

    Y'all come by now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

    ReplyDelete
  3. If you cannot be bothered to fence a portion of your yard, do not bother to get a dog. I have never been mistreated by an animal. I wish I could say the same about people.

    ReplyDelete

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