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Trust-
A Deadly Disease
There
is a deadly disease stalking your dog, a hideous, stealthy thing just waiting
its chance to steal your beloved friend. It is not a new disease, or You
knew before you ever took your puppy home that it could not be trusted.
The breeder who provided you with this precious animal warned you,
drummed it into your head. Puppies steal off counters, destroy anything
expensive, chase cats, take forever to house train, and must never be allowed
off lead!! When
the big day finally arrived, heeding the sage advice of the breeder, you
escorted your puppy to his new home, properly collared and tagged, the lead held
tightly in your hand. At
home the house was "puppy-proofed". Everything of value was stored in
the spare bedroom, garbage stowed on top of the refrigerator, cats separated,
and a gate placed across the living room to keep at least one Soon
it becomes second nature to make sure the door closes nine tenths of a second
after it was opened and that it is really latched. "Don't let the dog
out" is your second most verbalized expression. (The first is
"No!") You
worry and fuss constantly, terrified that your darling will get out and disaster
will surely follow. Your friends comment about who you love most, your family or
the dog. You know that to relax your vigil for a moment might lose him to you
forever. And
so the weeks and months pass, with your puppy becoming more civilized every day,
and the seeds of trust are planted. It seems that each new day brings less
destruction, less breakage. Almost before you know it, your gangly, slurpy puppy
has turned into an elegant, dignified friend. Now
that he is a more reliable, sedate companion, you take him more places. No
longer does he chew the steering wheel when left in the car. And darned At
this point you are beginning to become infected, the disease is spreading its
roots deep into your mind. And
then one of your friends suggest obedience classes, and, after a time you even
let him run loose from the car into the house when you get home.
Why not, he always runs straight to the door, dancing a frenzy of joy and
waits to be let in. And, remember he comes every time he is called. You know he
is the exception that disproves the rule. (And sometimes late at Years
pass- it is hard to remember why you ever worried so much when he was a puppy.
He would never think of running out the door left open while you bring in the
packages from the car. It would be beneath his dignity to jump out the window of
the car while you run into the convenience store. And when you take him for
those wonderful long walks at dawn, it only takes one This
is the time the disease has waited for so patiently. Sometimes it only has to
wait a year or two, but often it takes much longer. He
spies the neighbor dog across the street, and suddenly forgets everything he
ever knew about not slipping out doors, jumping out windows or coming when
called due to traffic. Perhaps it was only a paper The
disease is trust. The final outcome, hit by a car. Every
morning my dog bounced around off lead exploring. Every morning for seven years
he came back when he was called. He was perfectly obedient, perfectly
trustworthy. He died fourteen hours after being hit by a car. Please do not risk your friend and your heart. Save the trust for things that do not matter. Author unknown
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