“I am your dog!”

I came across the text below a few days ago, and thought it very appropriate to share here. So often I hear about a dog who has obviously lost some of its appeal as a family member, or I see a dog being dragged along on its walk by its owner. To many people, it would seem that when the “cute puppy” grows up, it becomes little more than a liability and an inconvenience. The writing below is attributed to author J.D. Ellis

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“I am your dog, and I have a little something I’d like to whisper in your ear.

I know that you humans lead busy lives. Some have to work, some have children to raise. It always seems like you are running here and there, often much too fast, often never noticing the truly grand things in life.

Look down at me now, while you sit there at your computer. See the way my dark brown eyes look at yours? They are slightly cloudy now. That comes with age. The gray hairs are beginning to ring my soft muzzle.

You smile at me; I see love in your eyes. What do you see in mine? Do you see a spirit? A soul inside, who loves you as no other could in the world? A spirit that would forgive all trespasses of prior wrong-doing for just a simple moment of your time? That is all I ask… to slow down, if even for a few minutes to be with me.

So many times you have been saddened by the words you read on that screen, of other of my kind, passing. Sometimes we die young and oh so quickly, sometimes so suddenly it wrenches your heart out of your throat.

Sometimes, we age so slowly before your eyes that you may not even seem to know until the very end, when we look at you with grizzled muzzles and cataract clouded eyes. Still the love is always there, even when we must take that long sleep, to run free in a distant land.

I may not be here tomorrow; I may not be here next week. Someday you will shed the water from your eyes  that humans have when deep grief fills their souls, and you will be angry at yourself that you did not have just “One more day” with me. Because I love you so, your sorrow touches my spirit and grieves me. We have NOW, together. So come, sit down here next to me on the floor, and look deep into my eyes. What do you see?

If you look hard and deep enough we will talk, you and I, heart to heart. Come to me not as “alpha” or as “trainer” or even “Mom or Dad,” come to me as a living soul and stroke my fur and let us look deep into one another’s eyes, and talk.

I may tell you something about the fun of chasing a tennis ball, or I may tell you something profound about myself, or even life in general. You decided to have me in your life because you wanted a soul to share such things with. Someone very different from you, and here I am. I am a dog, but I am alive. I feel emotion, I feel physical senses, and I can revel in the differences of our spirits and souls. I do not think of you as a “Dog on two feet” – I know what you are. You are human, in all your quirkiness, and I love you still.

Now, come and sit with me on the floor. Enter my world, and let time slow down if only for 15 minutes. Look deep into my eyes, and whisper to my ears. Speak with your heart, with your joy and I will know your true self. We may not have tomorrow, and life is oh so very short.”

40 thoughts on ““I am your dog!””

  3. Beautiful words, and another reminder that we should take time out to truly appreciate our four-legged friends. Although I am able to spend lots of floor time with Bundy and we ‘talk’ often, it never seems enough and I am always wishing that he would stop getting older so we could spend more time together.

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    • We seem to live at such a fast speed that it is so easy to forget some really important factors. It seems like yesterday that we met Ray, and yet he has been with us for over 5 years now and his muzzle is showing a start of greying. This was a good reminder for me to not take him for granted.

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  10. Okay, I definitely should have gotten the Kleenex BEFORE I read this! Well written. Something no pet owner should ever have to be reminded to do. Murphy and I spend lots of quality time together…..talking, grooming, playing, and just plain loving each other.

    Even when I was working full time, raising children and taking care of our home and yard, there was always time for the animals we had then. That’s a no-brainer to me.

    BUT, when you consider that people neglect their own kids or elderly parents because they’re “too busy”, it’s not surprising that pets get ignored. So sad.

    Gotta go Colin. Murphy is head-butting me with one of her stuffed toys, so apparently it’s time to play!! Lol!
    🔹 Ginger 🔹

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    • Hi Amy. Just like so many things in life, it is so easy to “take it all for granted” after a while. We should do ourselves a favor by regularly acknowledging everything that we have, including our furry friend(s). 🙂

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  13. This is so beautifully written. Dogs really do touch our souls, and yes, there is no guarantee of tomorrow. Give the belly rub, stroke their fur, get the wet doggy kisses and speak to their heart. Great ways to use the minutes that we have each day!
    Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Oh Colin, I felt my throat constrict reading this. I look down at Maggie asleep on her cushion now and think of the times she wants fuss. I see photos of her from just a year ago and see how much she has aged in that short time. At night, she still curls up behind me, and in the morning after Hubby’s got up, she snuggles into the warm vacated space. She loves to be close, even closer now. The vet told us she has the beginning of cataracts on both eyes, but they are not an issue at the moment. We also believe she is going deaf, as the vocal command is ignored yet she still responds to our hand signals, so we are making adjustments. She’s stiff in her joints but still goes for her walks, probably because she knows we want her to. They love us unconditionally don’t they.
    Thanks for sharing this. I’m reblogging it.

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