What's love got to do with it?

April 24, 2019

The theme of the week is the Human-Animal bond....so I will continue along that same thought process.

Dogs are my life.  They love unconditionally.  They don't talk back.  They are the best listeners ever.   It is hard to NOT smile when a dog is near.  And they allow you to act like a complete goof around them, encourage it even!

Today at The Canine Campus I got to see this awesome humane animal bond in a different light.  You see me and dear friend Lorri Matey do service dog training on Tuesdays.  Today was extra special.    After months of working on obedience skills and impulse control, they received their vests!  This is always such a fun day, to watch people accomplish the next step.

A service dog is a big, big commitment, and a true bonding of 2 beings.  They both come to help each other every hour of their lives.  They learn a level of a trust most won't ever know.  In our program we look at the program first through the dogs eyes, and then the humans.  The 2 can have a mutual love where they honor EACH OTHER. That it is a mutual relationship. It should be!

Miss Thelma, above, has shown me a lot of understanding with the Human-Animal bond.  You see, Miss Thelma was on a meat truck when the driver of the truck, drunk, tipped over at 5:30 Am.  2 pigs were thrown from the truck, and while their scariest day ever, it saved their lives.  Sam, myself and several others took 4 hours to save these 2...now named Thelma and Louise....and living a happy ever after life in my barn....they are fully recovered.  Thelma, even more than Louise at first, were so scared they wouldn't leave each others side, touching at all times for about 10 days.  Once I watched as they were sleeping, touching. Louise woke up and moved, and a few minutes later Thelma woke up and went into a complete panic.  They feel emotions. Fear  is real. So is a Human-animal bond....which is what the girls have come to understand and they have taught me a ton in the process.  

More than 20 years ago my Dad and I started the group K-9s for Compassion.  It is a therapy animal group that goes to area nursing homes, hospitals, libraries and schools to visit, make people feel better, and to provide assistance with therapy (Our animals can act as a motivator to have a patient throw a ball, or brush them for instance.)  I am very proud of the fact that we were the first ones in the area to have a therapy group.  We are recruiting and looking for more teams!!  We are looking for animals of almost any kind!  Join our group and come and have some fun with us!!  You can come in and take the evaluation, or if you need a prep course we offer a class, the next one starting April 29, Sunday 1:30-3:30. Call us if you are interested in signing up! (330) 716-3051.

Honor they bond....animals are awesome....you can find a serenity and a calmness in a cloud of insanity that we call life.  Reach out, see into their world.   Open your eyes and accept a new reality.

"The greatness of a nation can be judged based on its treatment of animals." -Ghandi

HUG your pet!

until tomorrow!  Peace out!!