Dogs

By: Hal Fielder

Having a veterinarian as a mom means you are constantly around animals, specifically dogs. Since I’ve been alive my family has always had at least two dogs at a time. We’ve had Golden Retrievers, Black Labs, Poodles, and Goldendoodles. I count myself very lucky to have had dogs my entire life. 

Dogs are some amazing creatures. Even though they may not understand what we say it seems they are able to understand our emotions. This ability is unlike most other animal species we’ve ever found. In my experience, it’s like dogs feed off of our emotions or reflect the feelings we experience. 

Dogs are able to understand some words and hand signals. The ability for humans to teach dogs things has allowed them to connect on a deeper level. Dogs can now do flips, tricks, become part of the military or police, follow commands, sniff out drugs, find lost things – even children. Some people get dogs just to protect their homes from intruders. 

If you want a dog just know it takes a lot of responsibility to have one. This is not just some toy you grab off the shelf at Target. Play with it for a few days then let it sit in your attic. You have to invest time into a dog. Taking it for a walk, letting it out to use the restroom, feeding it and that’s really just the daily stuff. If you want to teach your dog a trick or a command that takes a lot of time and repetition. It also takes a lot of dog treats.

Dogs are some of the smartest creatures I know although they don’t always use their brains for good. On second thought it might be good for them when they find a way to open your door or find a way to get out of your fence, and definitely when they find a way to get to a pie you thought you put high enough on your shelf, but it’s not so good for me. Sometimes I’m not sure if my dogs have any sense at all; they just completely lose all of their brainpower. One day my dog stole my neighbor’s cat’s food. Instead of just eating it, he brought it to me. It doesn’t make any sense. But I love him anyway. 

I really do love dogs. They are loyal creatures who will always be there when you need them (unless they find a way to get out of your fence). I do really hope you’d consider getting one if you don’t already have one.