A Dog Is For Love

A Dog is an Orangutan's Best Friend!

Orangutan's have always had a special place in my heart, so I was captivated by this story and pictures sent to me by a friend recently.

 

Suryia the orangutan lives at Tigers Sanctuary in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She was 

not doing well and the staff were concerned about her health. One day a dog wandered into the sanctuary in a truly emaciated condition. Suryia took to him the moment the dog arrived. She stayed with the dog night and day until he was well and during the process found a reason to live. They are now inseparable.

 

I am sure that these pictures will melt your heart and show that a dog is not only a man's best friend, but also an orangutan's!

 

Faith - An Inspirational Story of a Dog with Two Legs

A friend sent me this truly inspirational story by email and it is so wonderful, I simply had to post it on my blog!

 

This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 2 legs. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him. 

 

His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'. But then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She became determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself. She named him 'Faith'.
  
In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the movement. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his hind legs and to jump to move forward. After further training in the snow, he could now walk like a human being.  
    
Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he attracts people to him. He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is now a book entitled 'With a Little Faith' being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.
  
His present owner Jude Stringfellow has  given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that "even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul". 

    

In life there are always undesirable things, so in order to feel better you just need to look at life from another direction. I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day. Faith is the continual demonstration of the strength and wonder of life.

 

 

Remembering The Rescue Dogs of 9/11

Today is a day of rememberance for those who lost their lives at The World Trade Center and The Pentagon. I would also like to pay tribute to the rescue dogs, numbering over 380, that took part in the operation to recover people from the wreckage.

Bob Sessions - rescue worker for the Federal Emergency Management Agency said "If only these dogs knew what a difference they make. Certainly, there is nothing that can replace the precision of a dog's nose - and absolutely nothing can replace a dog's heart.'' 

Here are a few photographs of some of those brave friends who helped save human lives and recover bodies following the attack:

What a beautiful reminder of the faithful service dogs can offer their human companions. This is a partnership based on true respect and trust and is a lesson to us all about love and loyalty.

You can find more photos and information at Doggyspace.

If A Dog Were Your Teacher

If a dog were your teacher
These are some of the lessons you might learn...

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face
to be pure ecstasy

When it's in your best interest
practice obedience
Let others know when they've invaded your territory
Take naps and stretch before rising
Run romp and play daily

Thrive on attention and let people touch you
Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do
On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass
On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree
When you're happy dance around and wag your entire body

No matter how often you're scolded
don't buy into the guilt thing and pout
run right back and make friends

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm
Stop when you have had enough
Be loyal
Never pretend to be something you're not

If what you want lies buried
dig until you find it
When someone is having a bad day
be silent .....
...sit close by.

...and nuzzle them gently.

Author unknown.

A Lovely Week with Hazel and Daisy

I have had a great week with "my girls" Hazel and Daisy. We started off with a visit from dog psychologist and behaviourist Sue Cudby of www.dogconnection.co.uk. Although the dogs are getting on well together there were a few little issues I wanted some guidance about concerning the pup Daisy. She had been VERY naughty last week! I found her chewing something and on investigation it was a piece of black platic, half an inch square but now dented and pitted. I had no idea what it could be until a little later when I went to use my lap-top and six keys were missing! Oh, no the little minx - I never thought she would do that! Luckily I found five of the keys on the chair and managed to press them back in place. They are a bit wobbly now but they work. The "c" key sometimes needs pressing twice. The others she had dislodged were the "l" "x" "alt" and "@". Thank god the "@" works or I would have been impeded in sending emails. The chewed up one, beyond saving, was a key with the windows symbol that I never use, so a stroke of luck there.

Another aspect to this story is that I have since gone into my Amazon account to order a book and found things in my basket that I did not put there! Two computer games including Grand Theft Auto - something I wouldn't buy in a million years! My only explanation is that Daisy had navigated into Amazon and pressed enter a few times whilst she was dancing around on my keyboard!

Now back to Sue the dog trainer. She works on the Alpha method, helping me to become pack leader. Up to now I think Daisy was top of the pack, Hazel second, and then me - servant to both! Sue gave me some very good and simple advice that is proving effective and I feel much more in control now. I do little training sessions with them each day using rewards and a clicker. They immediately learnt the word "training" and as soon as I say "lets do training" they both sit to attention, alert and ready to start. It is really funny and I can use that phrase as an immediate distraction if Daisy is doing something unwanted and she immediately sits and looks at me waiting for the training to begin. Great stuff!

Another thing I have to do is pretend to eat the dog dinner before I put it down for them. This asserts my position as leader. So I stick my nose in the bowl and make an enthusiatic yum yum sound. Then they have their dinner.

We also took the dogs for a walk and I am working on reducing the pre-walk excitement so I can get Daisy's harness on without the usual singing and dancing around the hall. Sue's methods are working well and things are a lot calmer now.

It has been a lovely sunny week here in Norfolk and at the weekend we went for a day out in neighbouring Suffolk. We went to Oulton Broad, where people were enjoying themselves out on their boats and pleasure cruisers were running trips for visitors. We stayed on terra firma but it was lovely to enjoy the atmosphere at the waterside and the dogs enjoyed themselves in the park. Then on to the seaside village of Walberswick where I enjoyed an alfresco lunch at a pub with the wonderful whiff of the sea in the air. Dogs were welcome on the terrace at The Anchor and, whilst I left Hazel tied to the table leg when I went to place my order, Daisy yapped as soon as I left so I had to pick her up and take her with me to the bar. Something else to work on. Hazel is very laid back and I can take her anywhere. As I ate my meal, they enjoyed laying under the table in the shade with a nice bowl of water.

On Sunday we went to the Norfolk Dog Day, in aid of Help for Heroes. Apparently the event raised nearly £80,000. There were thousands of people there with their thousands of dogs! I have never seen so many dogs at once - all shapes and sizes. They were all incredibly well behaved - no fights breaking out and I hardly even heard any barking. We arrived too late to enter any competitions, which was a shame because I am absolutely certain that Daisy would have won the Waggiest Tail competition. It never stops and is sometimes just a blur it is wagging so fast! There were over 200 entrants to the Perkiest Pup competition - imagine that - all those fluffy bundles of love to drool over.

So with these lovely activities, intermingled with our usual country walks and frolics in the garden, we have all had a splendid week!

Best Pals - The Guide Dog and The Blind Dog

This is a great story from Sky News

It's not unusual for visually-impaired humans to rely on a guide dog - but now a shelter in Norfolk has found a blind border collie with his own inseparable canine companion.

Best friends Bonnie and Clyde were brought to the animal shelter in Norfolk after they were found wandering the streets in a rain storm.

When the pair are together Clyde, five, seems as capable as a fully sighted dog - but he won't move unless Bonnie, two, is close.

Bonnie guides him on walks or towards food and lets him rest on her when he becomes disorientated.

Cherie Cootes, who runs the Meadow Green Dog Rescue .Centre in Loddon, Norfolk, said: "He totally relies on her the whole time. When she walks she tends to stop and make sure he's there - she does look out for him."

Vicky Bell, a spokeswoman for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, said she had never heard of a dog voluntarily acting as a guide for another dog.

"There's absolutely no option of homing them separately - they have to go as a pair," she said. "This is a very unusual case - it's such a lovely story.

Miss Ellie - World's Ugliest Dog

The World's Ugliest Dog Competition has taken place at Sonoma-Marin Fair in California. It was more like a beauty contest with owners titivating their pets to enhance their "ugliness"! But then beauty and ugliness are in the eye of the beholder and I ,for one, think the winner is the epitome of cuteness!

The competition was open to pedigrees and the winner was Miss Ellie, a pure breed Chinese crested hairless from Tennessee. She is reported to be around 15 years old, has only a couple of back teeth, cataracts in both her eyes, several moles and pimples and limited hair - with such credentials the other entrants surely could not have stood a chance!

Miss Ellie is a rescue dog and her owner, Dawn Goehring, is very proud of her. Miss Ellie had been kept in a kennel for much of her life and had not been shown love and affection. When Dawn took her in she knew no commands and was not house trained but now rules the roost among her other rescue pals and even attended her owner's wedding in rival white dress and veil.

Miss Ellie may not have had a good start in life but now she is a winner!

 

Calling Dr Buddy!

I connected with Frank Seeley from Colorado recently on Twitter. He told me he had a remarkable story about his dog Buddy and I invited Frank to send it to me for my blog. I had been waiting for a while, wondering what this story would entail and today it arrived. My heart was truly moved and I shed a tear or two over this wonderful story of the wisdom and dedication of this special dog, Buddy.

Here is the story:

Calling Dr. Buddy - "um right dude, it’s just coincidence. Buddy is just a dog."
That’s what most of the replies are when I tell someone the story about Buddy and my father.

I once worked at the local zoo and while there I told my fantasy ( zoo keeper opinion ) to one of the keepers.
I was told how animals only work off instinct, their biological drive for survival  nothing more.
Buddy just wanted food treats that my father gave him when I was not around.  

Instinct and animal behavior, I do believe that animals work off instinct. The instinct to protect and care for all of the members of the pack. They  have the distinct ability to know when a member is ill and express sorrow when one passes away. We humans could learn a lot from our four footed friends.

Ok I know this does not make much sense so far, what can I say I am only human.

Let me take you back a few years, while taking care of my father I started to notice his lower paws (Dad’s not Buddy’s) starting to swell. On the weekly doctor visit for I asked Dad’s Doctor about the swelling.

Don’t worry the doctor replied: It comes with age, have your father wear some pressure socks and the swelling should go down.

When we arrived home there was Buddy waiting. He followed us into dad's room and looked at me and then he laid his head on dad's chest. Lifting his head Buddy looked at me with the saddest look I have ever seen.
I told him to go lay down and stay out of the way.
Buddy looked at me and laid next to dad's bed. He would not leave, once a day buddy would go outside to relieve himself then back to dad's room.

One week went by and we went back to the doctor. No change in dad's condition or the doctors opinion. The doctor listened to dad's heart and took blood pressure and so on, then sent us home.

Doctor Buddy did not agree, everyday Buddy would put his head on dad's chest then look at me and whine. I would tell him to behave, dad needs his rest. Buddy would look at me and give me an under his breath, whine scowl combination. He would lay on the floor and not leave the room.

Dad got worse, along with Buddy’s looks and attitude toward me, as if to ask "why don’t you do something?"
Every time I checked on dad, Buddy would put his head on dad's chest right over the heart and whine.

Now let me explain something, I am not a very good at telling stories or understanding animal language.
I have a great concern for my father and family. I trust the doctors and their opinions. I try to do the right thing. When dad's heart doctor told me at dad's age… well make your arrangements, everyone’s time comes, I was at a loss, I realized Buddy knew dad's time was coming. 

One day with dad in bed and Buddy standing at his side, I could see the sorrow in his eyes. Again Buddy put his head on dads chest then looked at me and whined. This time buddy would not let me leave the room.
Buddy told me to do something, do something know. Dad was worse, it was time. I called the ambulance and dad's doctor. The paramedics arrived and after checking dads vitals, said it was his heart and off to the hospital they went.

Buddy stayed in dad's room, no howl, no pacing. In fact he looked somewhat relieved, he would not leave the room and I would tell him I understand, I will miss dad too. Buddy gave me that look. The you just don’t understand look.

At the hospital the doctor on staff explained dad's condition. Arrhythmia - the top of dads heart was beating over 200 beats per minute and the lower was only 60 beats per minute. He told me I should have seen a doctor sooner ( woof )! Your father needs a pacemaker and off to the O.R. they went.

Soon we took dad home and of course buddy was waiting. We put dad in bed and doctor Buddy checked his heart and his breathing. With great excitement Buddy licked dad's face, wagged his tail and barked at me.
He was telling me, It’s about time you listen.
Outside in the back yard buddy played and ran like a puppy, all was right with the world.

It’s been over two years now and dads health has improved greatly. Buddy is still teaching me and watching dad. The two of them are great friends.
Not only is Buddy a great doctor, he is a very good at covering up for dad.  Every time dad drops something at the dinner table Buddy cleans it up right away. I have seen both dad and Buddy look and see if I was watching, I never see a thing.

Well with no disrespect intended towards dog lovers and their masters (dogs own us). I believe the medical institution has gone to the dogs. Actually it should - they have the instinct for it!