Finding Purpose Through Animals

[blueflame]

So..this might sound kind of silly, but getting my latest dog has really turned my life around. I adopted a beagle puppy two years ago with my sister. As she grew, I realized she was manifesting dangerous characteristics such as aggression and dominance. Everytime anyone said "no" she would bite us, and if anyone touched her toys she would let into them. She even attacked our 15year old dog just for walking by. I have many scars from the bites she would give me. Then my family members started raving about The Dog Whisperer, and I got into reading his books and watching his show. He says that the owner's state of mind (fear, insecurity, aggression)is easily picked up by the dog and is reflected back. It is so true! I didn't realize how unbalanced I was until this little puppy came into my life. She's gotten me to walk, rollerblade, or run everyday. Because she relies on me, and I knew I would be the only one to fix her- I worked hard on balancing myself out so that I could be a stronger leader for her. I also learned to discipline myself so that I could teach her, and to refuse to give myself permission to fear. Without her, I don't think I would have ever gotten this far, because I had no purpose. It really is true when they say animals are the greatest teachers. Anyone else found purpose in an animal? I would love to hear your story!

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by blueflame
Anyone else found purpose in an animal? I would love to hear your story!

My handle (Shamou) is the name of my last Bulldog... he was my friend, my hero and a mentor...

He showed how to have self confidence... a sense of justice... what the word loyalty means... and, most of all, what true love is...

He was my Buddha... I only had to look in his eyes... and I knew what he wanted to tell me... now, is that a factual assessment or not...??? I don't know... but, it does not matters... the results were the same...

Old Shamou... my friend, after four years... I still miss you... as I write this... I have tears in my eyes...

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[A.K.Light]

That's a really cool story! Amazing. And Shamou, that's also pretty cool, but I can't relate. I've never even loved a human that much, lol.

[tramseyer]

I have found a purpose in more than one of my animals. My Maggie, who left me a couple of years ago around Christmas, was my soul dog. She was found as a stray and turned into the local PAWS group. They fixed her, and brought her to PetSmart for an adoption day.

Now, I had been there the day before, and not made a connection with any of the animals, after Picker left us. Dad and I were in the area the next day, the first time they brought Maggie, and something/one said to me "go to PetSmart" and we went. Her eyes met mine, and that was it - we clicked immediately. She and I were together for several years. When she crossed over I was devastated for a long long time.

My sweet girl Heidi and I didn't immediately click that hard, but now we are inseparable - when we left her here early last month and drove to Phoenix for my graduation, being apart for almost two weeks was wrenching for both of us, even though I knew she was much safer and healthier being boarded at the vets.

Heidi came to me over a year ago, a very bright spot during a very bad year. She has kept me going. We love each other unconditionally. I try to live up to the old saying "Help me be who my dog thinks I am," paraphrased a bit, I think

Cookie and Picker were more "all the family" dogs. I love them, but they were shared with my parents as I was growing up. Maggie and Heidi are much more my girls. Heidi is my second soul dog, and since to have even one in a lifetime is very very rare, I feel exceedingly special.

I feel so lucky and grateful to have had four of the most wonderful, sweet dogs anywhere in my life - they're not my animals, they're people in furry coats, as someone once said. Cookie, Picker, Maggie and Heidi. I love them all.

Theresa

Originally Posted by blueflame

Anyone else found purpose in an animal? I would love to hear your story!

[Bitsy]

Originally Posted by Shamou

.

I want to post a picture of my pet too, but I don't know how . I don't have any url, I just have the picture on my computer.

How did you do this Shamou?

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Bitsy

I want to post a picture of my pet too, but I don't know how . I don't have any url, I just have the picture on my computer.

How did you do this Shamou?

The easiest way of doing that is by downloading, "photobucket.com" on your PC... it is free, safe and they will not spam you... However, photobucket is presently doing some "Site Maintenance" but, I suspect that it will be back on later today... and, when it is back on, I'll give you the URL and the instructions on how to post your pic in this forum... it is very simple...

Edit: Photobucket is now back online and you can dowload it here...

Once you have uploaded your pic... simply copy/paste the "IMG Code" and paste is in in you post... and voilà... we get to see your pet...
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[Bitsy]

Originally Posted by blueflame

He says that the owner's state of mind (fear, insecurity, aggression)is easily picked up by the dog and is reflected back. It is so true! Anyone else found purpose in an animal? I would love to hear your story!

This thread is so old, but I want to tell about my pet too, because I didn't know there were other people who felt this way about their pets. Her name was Bitsy and she was my little ferret, 1993-2000. I got her in Sweden from a man who raised ferrets for hunting rabbits, before they were kept commonly as pets. She kept me alive during the 7 years of her life, for I would have died otherwise, but I could never stand the image of her finding my body in the apartment or of leaving her alone or with someone who didn't make sure she was ok (ferrets are like 1-2-year old children and you have to ferret-proof your home so they don't get hurt, lost in the building walls, or dig the dirt in your plants all over the floor)

She was my happiness, she became much like me early on, I guess unfortunately - she wasn't very social with other ferrets, they seemed to only fight with her, she was quiet when she was being hurt, like once I was trying to close a closet door and it wouldn't close, and I looked down and there she was caught in the door - she didn't make a peep.

She made me laugh so much, for her curiousity got her into so many strange places - like she fell in the toilet twice. She was little, playful and cuddly and especially cute and funny when she got angry. She would get angry at me every time we moved, and we moved a lot and I felt bad about it. She was gentle and kind, not mean or biting like many ferrets are (except she had this thing for nipping toes, hence her name - she mostly grew out of it).

When she became sick, she couldn't breath and I remember lying with her on my chest and she was inside a little sleeping bag I had knitted for her that she loved to sleep in. Her little face was poking out the end and I heard how she was having trouble breathing and I began crying. She began to lick the tears off my cheeks and it made me cry even more. When I had to put her to sleep at the vet's, she was in my arms, but she wasn't dying, for a long time, she wasn't dying, but convulsing in my arms. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. The second that I looked up to say to the other person there, "why is she not dying??" she died in my arms - somehow my attention was holding her there. She loved me.



Thank you Shamou, for showing me how to post a photo.