Every night I have a routine, after working
from catching up on paperwork and desk duties, I will settle down in my easy-chair. Because it's a couch with a recliner, it's
pretty comfortable for all of us, including the dogs. Elaine has her own rocking chair, so the whole
sofa is for the dogs and me. Once I sit
down, the procession starts. Meggie goes
to the opposite end, JoJo heads to the middle, and Whiskey hops up in my lap,
and sometimes whoever else can fit it.
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Meggie and Whiskey |
Whiskey always has this thing where she
stares at me when I stroke and rub her face. She
will lay on her back, and the stress vanishes form both of us, but especially
me. Most days are very stressful, with
dogs looking for homes and needing care and surgeries going on. The last three weeks have been externally
stressful because of Stevie/Sadie and the broken leg from being kicked off the
porch by her owner. She had two
significant surgeries to repair the problems, and hopefully, she is on her
way to recovery without any nerve injuries, time will tell.
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Sadie who is now named Stevie after her first surgery. |
As I sit and stroke Whiskey's face, JoJo will
put her head in what lap I have left, and I will rub both of their faces. It seems with each rub, I am rubbing away
all my problems and concerns for all of us.
I have to think about what Whiskey is thinking. Is she happy and letting me know, is she
trying to tell me to keep her safe, does she think about the dogs that were
left behind? Elaine is always thought that
dogs can remember their past. I have my
doubts because some of the dogs we deal with would have problems for years from
where they came from. While I believe
they can acclimate from most circumstances, and I do think they are pretty
resilient.
Diving into this topic, I remember the first
day each of my dogs came home to live with me because it was very poignant for me. But does my dogs remember when
they met me for the first time? The short answer is, they probably don't. But
that doesn't mean they don't remember me.
Dogs may have some type of episodic memory, or the ability to remember
specific events in the past? A recent study suggests this is possible. However,
the same study shows that there are real limits to that type of memory for
dogs. So your dog isn't probably able to reflect back on your first moments
together in the same way you do unless you're Dutchess who remembers everything
and where the treats are.
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JoJo in my lap watching TV before she settles in. |