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Heart Dogs |
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People who share their lives with dogs sometimes refer to “heart dogs.” This term refers to a dog that is above the ordinary… a dog so special that it brings extra joy each day it is alive, and leaves an echoing ache when it crosses. Last year I lost Loki, my Doberman heart dog on a cold November morning. His illness was devastatingly sudden, leaving me no time to adjust to the thought of not having him in my life. Although Loki had the fierce look that is characteristic of his breed about him, he was a gentle spirit. He may have been 80 pounds of muscle and shine, but he fancied himself a lapdog. As our Veterinarian was about to stop the steady beating of my companions heart, I laid my tear stained cheek against his smooth, sleek face and whispered to him. I told him what a good boy he was, and how very much I loved him. And on a silly whim, I told him, “Come back to me as a small black Pug. Then you can go with me more places and be the lap dog you’ve always wanted to be.” When he was gone I began to berate myself. A small black Pug? What if by some unknown process my heart dog did manage to make his way back to me in Pug form? How would I know him? Would I find a litter of puppies, tiny and round and say, “That one! HE looks like a Doberman?” How silly of me. What had I been thinking? Months passed, and one day an acquaintance came to me in some distress. She had bought a puppy, and due to some issues in her life, the puppy wasn’t working out. She pushed the puppy into my arms, and said, “I’ve thought about it, and I feel like you need to have this puppy.” The puppy in question gnawed gently on my chin and cocked his head to look at me. Perhaps I imagined it, but there was a hint of recognition in the eyes of the small, black Pug that nestled into my chest with a contented sigh. People who share their lives with dogs consider themselves to be very lucky if they ever have one heart dog. To have more than one is a blessing that borders on a miracle. I believe in miracles.
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