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A Dog Day Afternoon Here she comes again as I write this story. She will run to watch me type on the computer. This doesn't happen all of the time, only when she wants something from me. She will stand by the door to my office, look at me then look away. If I turn toward her, she comes to me and rubs up against me. She will lean into me and then put her head on my lap and look at me with those big brown eyes, challenging me to guess what she wants. Is it food, water, outside, attention? This time she wants nothing but a little loving and attention. It's not always having to do with attention but still, if anyone comes into my office she will come in and act jealous. I don't know why she acts so jealous there is no one like her in my life, literally. I love her attention as much as she needs mine. Photo Credit: Noël Zia Lee/Flickr CC There was a time when I thought I couldn't replace my last furry friend when he tragically died. I actually had him put down but it was an act of love. He hurt his knee and although he could still get around, I knew he was in pain too much of the time. Sure, he still wanted to be with me and go with me wherever I went. He did have a hard time keeping up with me, although eventually, that wasn't the biggest problem. One day he lost the use of another leg, I knew it was time. I called the vet and asked if I could bring him in, to end his suffering. I drove to the Veterinarian, paid the fee, and returned home with a stretcher for my dog's last trip. My wife and I had a hard time getting him on the stretcher but I think during times like these, you just put your mind on what you have to do. After my dog was euthanized I don't remember much else but crying harder than I have for some people that have died. Maybe we cry for our pets because they rely on us more than most people and almost everything we do impacts their lives and deaths. We wonder if we did the right thing when it feels like that time. I still miss him at times. Now I have this dog who makes me laugh, she gets excited to see me and runs around in circles, stops for a while, and leans into me like she never had anyone pet her before. Here she comes now looking for attention. I pet her and she turns around so I can get her whole body, especially her rear end area, she likes that scratched most of all. As she walks away I see that I have been writing too long, the sun is going down. Got to go now, and take my best friend for a walk before the day slips away. Walk Dog Run I run sometimes to get exercise and strength but the real benefit from running is emotional. It helps with concentration and supplies endorphins that last well after running. Endorphins occur in the pituitary gland and cause a feeling of wellbeing but are more intense than morphine according to some studies. I owe my dog a lot because taking her for a walk always turns into a run of some length. Whether it is a half or 2 miles, we can now run alongside each other, as we're both about 8 dog years old. Several years ago when I had a different dog and we were both younger, it didn't take me long to realize the importance of staying active. I lived alone and my furry friend would sit around the house all day, taking naps, chewing on his bone, looking out the window, or chasing chipmunks (but that's another story). I would come home and because I wanted to make an impression on a girl at the time I began to run for my health and appearance. It really didn't occur to me for a few months that my dog was sitting around and maybe he would like to go for a run also. Sure I would play ball with him. He would run after a ball I threw and then bring it back over and over again until I got tired of it. But now we could bond with a brisk run. Heck, maybe even compete by seeing who could run the fastest. It was fun, but as he got older he lost his stamina even more than I did so I would just mostly walk him. Here is the kicker in all of this though he lived an incredible life, well into his 16th year and I am convinced it was from the running. He was always muscular, thin, and very healthy even towards the end of his life. The only thing that got him was a patch of ice he fell on. His legs were never the same and before too long he could no longer walk. The dog I have now is a beautiful, female mix breed and she loves to run with me but this time it will be even better as we both go into our golden years. I run alongside of her and we both are exhausted within a few minutes. She loves me as much as I do her so we both slow down and just enjoy each other's company and I know we will both live a long endorphin-filled, healthy life. It really didn't occur to me that my dog might want to go for a run also. An Untrusting Dog I had a dog given to me by an acquaintance several years ago. I'm not proud of the fact that within a few weeks I also gave him away to strangers. They answered an ad, I put on a bulletin board. The worse part of this story is that the dog ended up being vicious and eventually put down. I cannot comprehend giving a pet dog away ever again, but it got me thinking. Does my dog trust me? Not only with his life, but in everyday circumstances such as my coming home after work, feeding him at the right time, not hurting him, or coming to me even when he does something bad? 5 signs my dog lost trust in me. My dog would come when called, but hesitantly. He would at times walk very slowly to me with his head down, or maybe not come as close as before. To some owners, this may appear to be a sign of guilt. But it appeared to be more probable he lost trust in me. My dog would move out of my way when I'd walk towards him. At one time I would have to step over him when he was in the way because he was so confident in me. He started acting like I was going to walk into him He stayed out of my way. He not only moved out of my way when I would walk towards him. He knew where I was going beforehand and stayed way off to the side. He was always in the hallway when I got up in the morning, and then he started to stay in a room and only come out when he knew I was no longer a threat of walking in his direction. My dog no longer looked for treats or he would take the treat from me and disappear into another room. Most dogs love treats and will do almost anything for them. My dog could have been sick or depressed but most of the time there are other signs for that. He was eating his regular meal. Was not lethargic. And at that time, I would have thought he had health issues. My dog quit rolling over on his back for belly rubs. He used to love belly rubs but then he started laying on his belly. Even worse, when I tried to get him to roll on his back he would snap at me. I regained the trust in my dog by remaining calm and waiting for him to come to me, I would reward him with a treat when he sat and did his favorite trick of playing dead. I did not try to calm him with a sympathetic voice, I read somewhere, he would think, he was being rewarded for acting the way he was. I hope this is of some help if you are having problems with your dog. About the Author By Greg W Day Greg is a popular author of articles and stories about pets, human nature, and the environment. Article Source: A Dog Day Afternoon, Walk Dog Run, An Untrusting Dog (Ezine Articles)

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