Dogs, friends, and memories

Luke, always with a smile on his face

I dare not venture very far down the path of speculation into the mind and memory of a dog.  There are some things, however, that can be observed pretty objectively.  It seems very clear that dogs remember certain people.  I went to an adoption event in Front Royal on Sunday.  Luke was there and he clearly remembered me and greeted me with much enthusiasm.  Luke is with another foster home now, a better one in terms of care, attention, and adoption prospects, but he still remembers me.  He also remembered a woman who had fostered him for about a month while we were on vacation, giving her a lot of love.

I took Thora along as well.  The last of her puppies has been adopted, but she still remembers the woman who pulled her and the pups from the pound.

She was there today with a new foster, this 4 month old black female shepherd pup.  I picked her up for some cuddle time, which satisified my need for a puppy fix for a few more weeks. 

Thora always remembers the woman who saved her and greets her like a long lost friend, exressing her appreciation in a very obvious way. 

Mercedes (front), and Trace (rear)

Dogs also have and remember their dog friends, of course.  Mercedes and Trace had been joined that the hip around here for the last two or three weeks.  Mercedes followed him constantly and harassed him into play relentlessly.  Trace was adopted today, and I'm very glad about that, but I always wonder what the dogs think when one of their friends leaves with someone else from an adoption event, or goes off in the van with me in the morning and doesn't return later in the day. 

Dusty and Clue

Dogs have friends, I don't doubt that.  Some dogs love all others and are happy to play with anyone.  Some are a bit more selective in their friends, preferring a few special ones among many acquaintances.  That was the case with these two, Dusty the shepherd on the left, and Clue, a Saluki, on the right.  Dusty is a former foster of mine, adopted out over four years ago.  Clue was a friend of hers who unfortunately died recently, very suddenly.  From Dusty's point of view, it must be as if he just ceased to appear where they used to meet.  I wonder what, if anything, dogs think about about.  They seem to know when a friend is growing old, becoming ill, and is nearing death.  But sometimes dog/dog friendship is severed suddenly and for no apparent reason from their standpoint, either a sudden death or due to human intervention, a move or change in routine.

It's remarkable, and a testament to their adaptability, that dogs take so many changes in stride, not regretting the past or what they've lost, but just looking forward to what is now and next. 

Dedicated to the memory of Clue, and Huck's dad, Randy Michie, both lost this week, both loved, missed, and not forgotten.