Missing My Canine Companion.

Missing My Canine Companion.

I recently lost a dear friend and companion, one who has been with me for the 9 years year or so that I have lived in Blackpool. This friend did not judge me on the clothing I wore, what I did or did not do for a living, what car I drove, or whether I took public transport. In fact, this dear friend and companion just took me for who I was, with no opinions or judgment about me. It was a relationship of total acceptance from him to me, and indeed, me to him.

This friend and companion of mine was with me, whether I was alone or in the company of others, while I was at home. This friend and companion of mine imbued the very nature of God. The nature of God that many of us could learn from, that is unconditional love that asks nothing from us, only that we love it back. As humans, we have the ability to embody this love. From the time we are born to the moment, we finally leave this mortal realm, sadly, we gain a judgemental and critical mind. It behooves us as Christians, then, to renew our minds every day, (as the Bible instructs us), to try and get that mindset, that Jesus, points us to and wants us to have.

So back to my friend and companion: who I am still missing. Well, many pet owners, especially those who have owned dogs, will understand what I have written. My dog was called Mr. C, he was a lovely, vibrant and intelligent dog, and always there for you and willing, to cheer you up. Dogs and other pets, seem to instinctively know what mood their human companions are in. They show joy when we are joyous and they seem to understand when we are upset.

It has been proven that dogs and other pets can:

Get us out of the house and improve our self-esteem.
They are always there for us, no matter what.
They help us keep calm. Even by just stroking them, our blood pressure is lower.
They help to build structure and routine in our life.
They help those who suffer from all forms of mental health.

My dog was 15 or 16 years old when he passed. He had cancer and an enlarged heart, and he had developed a horrible, choking cough. For an old dog, he had lived a full and vibrant life, and that is how I will remember him.

Scientists believe that a dog’s mental abilities are at least the same, as a 2 – 2.5-year-old human, perhaps, sometimes older. It has been obvserved, that dogs can learn 165 words and understand complex signals from their trainers or owners. Truly, they are some of God’s brightest creatures on the planet.

Humans and dogs have much in common, we and they, are both social creatures by nature, and this explains why dogs and humans get on. Humans have bred and used dogs in many ways and were certainly a match made in heaven. The Lord knew what he was doing when the two species joined forces!

It is thought that dogs were domesticated around about 27,000 – 40,000 years ago. Two specimens of dogs were found in Germany, dating back to millenia. These dogs were early domesticated animals, still like their wolf ancestors. DNA was taken from these specimens and it showed that all domesticated dogs, apparently, came from these two long-dead, canines. The first burial of a pet dog was dated to approximately, 14,200 years. This shows how long ago, dogs have become embedded with us and been an integral part of human life.

Will I see my dog and other pets in Heaven? I would love to believe so. However, I miss all of them and thank the Lord that they were all part of my life. I will finish these thoughts with scripture:

Proverbs 12:10: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of the beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel”.

Psalm 36:6: “Your righteousness is like the mountains O God, your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord”.

Isaiah 11:6: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat and the calf and lion will be together, and a child shall lead them”.

God bless you

Nick x

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