Dogs Know What Love Means
Posted: Wednesday, October 10, 2007
by Susan Thom
I wrote a story about what I thought love was. I found a whole new way of looking at it last night. My dog was sleeping on my bed, and I went over and laid my head on his, and he stayed, as he always does.
Sometimes I lay my head on his back while hes lying flat. Again, he stays. I told him I loved him, and then, my brain started working in overdrive. I figured out that in the sixteen months that I have had him since he was a puppy, I have been going through this ritual every night.
When you have a young child, you get them bathed, brush their teeth, read them a story, tuck them in, and say, "I love you."
From this, they learn what love is: caring, devotion, compassion, concern for their well being, trust, and love right back at you.
If a dog has a brain to think, why then, would it seem so strange that he, too, can learn what love is?
I taught him as a puppy to come to me and give me a kiss when I ask for one. He still does it. If hes lying at the end of the bed, I can get him to come up to me and give me a kiss if I ask him to. He has never been hit or done any harm to, and he is as content as any life form Ive ever known.
He has a house full of places he can go to feel comfortable. He sleeps with me in my bed, then he goes into my sons room, and depending on his mood, I guess, either sleeps at the bottom of his bed while hes on the computer, or right next to him on a little couch. He goes down to my partners room where he has a bed and food and snacks always waiting for him.
When my son is on the gaming system in the family room, hes right there on the couch with him. He plays with my older dog, who is eleven, and has helped her to act like a puppy herself now.
We have a fenced in yard they can run and play in, usually doing figure eights. I take them with me in the car whenever feasible, and they love it. When they see my purse go over my arm, they get excited and go to the door. If they don't happen to see me, I call out "Come on, let's go for a ride" and they come from wherever they were.
Every night we let them run around the property and explore and get some fresh air and exercise. They each have their own beds next to each other in the dining room, and sleep in them during the day.
These dogs are loved, they know it, they feel it, and I believe, they understand it.
This Article has been viewed 252 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Yes, Susan you've heard the old saying "A dog is a man's best friend"? some dogs have been known to sense it when their master has died and will go right to the grave site where they know their master is, lay on the grave until they (the dog) dies. Some dogs have more love in them, than alot of people in this world.Please log in to respond to this comment.hi david, thank you for reading and responding. please do me a favor and read my story "My Grandfather's Last Days Were Very Interesting" i think you'll find it along these lines, and along the lines of your comment. don't forget to feed your fish! best regards, sue thomPlease log in to respond to this comment.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.