Comments on: What I Wish I Could Explain To My Dog

By: Linda - Alfie's Blog

Linda - Alfie's Blog — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 18:30:19 +0000

The one thing I wish I could have explained better to Alfie was when we moved over to the US and had to leave him in his crate for 14 hours while on the plane. Words can not describe how upset I felt when I left him at the check in, and how worried I felt every minute of that flight.

I couldn’t explain to him that he would be alone for that long but that it would be okay, and that we would come and get him soon – The only thing I could do to prepare him for the flight was to make sure he was well exercised and crate trained.

Being a tough cookie Alfie took it in his stride though, and all the crate training paid off – when we reached the US he simply stepped out of the crate, gave his humans a roooo and a kiss and went to find the nearest lamp post. I can only assume that his faith, love and trust in us kept him calm during the flight.

By: Nikki

Nikki — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:04:18 +0000

That 50 lb furball is welcome on my lap anytime! I’d love that kind of cuddling (I am so glad we ALL know the real context of this) from any furry angels. We didn’t do very well establishing boundaries with our dogs and visitors, so Freddy always ended up in a surprised guest’s lap. And they didn’t mind one bit.

By: Lauranne

Lauranne — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 12:49:22 +0000

I wish I could explain why I can’t spend every day with BD any more – and I want him to understand with all his heart that this isn’t his fault, I didn’t want to leave him….

By: Dogs N Pawz

Dogs N Pawz — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 02:26:13 +0000

I wish I could explain to Scout that he is getting older and that is why it hurts him a little bit when he gets up and down. I wish I could explain to Teddy that he doesn’t need to be afraid of everything and everyone and that we will always be here for him and I wish we could tell Ash that she doesn’t have to be so clingy…that we will always love her! There is so much I wish I could tell all of my dogs. Wouldn’t it be great if they could understand us!

By: KB

KB — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 01:45:29 +0000

I wish that I could explain to my dogs that I am clipping their nails or cleaning their ears for their own good – not so that I can torture them!

By: Julie Blackwelder

Julie Blackwelder — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 05:48:06 +0000

I see the other side of the leaving situation because I board and groom dogs. Most of them figure it out, especially if they come often.

The owners get upset when I have the ones who get excited about coming and are reluctant to go home. One little tiny poodle I later found out was being abused and he got a new home, but the rest I think are just active and intelligent and are lonesome being an “only child” and have family leave every day for work, school, church or whatever. I think they look forward to coming to be part of my pack and like that I rarely leave for more than a short time, so crate/pen/playpen time is short.

Rarely do I have dogs that get confined and/or leashed for most of the time they are with me. Most of them have free run of the house and the back yard. Some at home are never off leash and they LOVE my back yard (2/3 of an acre) and running with the pack.

The really sad ones pine for days, and some won’t eat for a week. But, even those, if they stay ling enough, perk up and have a good time, but the excitement when their “children” or owners come to get them is indescribable. Some you can tell some thought they had been abandoned or their people had died.

I can’t imagine how many times I have wished they could talk and tell me about their lives at home and how many times I have wished I could tell them that everything will be okay and they are safe with me and that family will be back.

By: Jen K

Jen K — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 05:43:14 +0000

When Moses was going through his spinal surgery, I so badly wished I could explain it to him – and then when he got home and couldn’t walk, I really wished I could’ve explained that, too. And, of course, that when we leave, we’ll always come back.

By: Christina Berry

Christina Berry — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 05:19:18 +0000

Now that I work from home, I almost never have to leave my girl, except for short jaunts to the grocery store or out to dinner or maybe a quick visit with a friend or relative. That makes leaving her when we take the occasional vacation even more difficult, and I always wish I could make her understand that even though it’s going to seem like a very long time, Momma will always come back for her. I worry so much that for days, she just sits there thinking she’s been abandoned.

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 04:06:33 +0000

I run into that sometimes, that Elka is in fact “just” a dog and can’t actually understand what I explain to her. One of the first times I remember running into this was when she accidentally killed a moth, and brought it to me, looking up at me with big liquid Disney eyes like “Why won’t it fly anymore?”

By: 24 Paws of Love

24 Paws of Love — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 03:39:21 +0000

Hubby always gets distressed when he can’t explain to the dogs that they can’t go for a walk because they are sick, or have owies, or it is too cold out. It happens very rare, but he wishes they would understand.