Last night I had one of those nights where I was reminded of the depth that a relationship between people and dogs can reach. I've always been open in saying that of all of my dogs, Gaci is my true heart dog. We have a bond that surpasses mere training, something that cannot be put into words. She has taught me more about patience, trust, and understanding than any other person or dog.
That said, Gaci is an independent, sassy, self-thinker. Extremely clever, she figures out easily how to get what shw wants, and as a bit of a control freak sometimes let's her dismays known. Those who meet her fall in love with her, despite the fact that the last thing SHE wants is to make friends with strangers! She has that effect on others, and her lot-of-dog-in-small-body cuteness just aids that.
She's not a cuddler. She likes to do her own thing most of the time. So when I was greeted last night with a very upset gal, who looked for me and stood by my side with pleading eyes and shivering like mad, I knew something had frightened her. Without question, upon invitation she crawled into my lap and sat there for some time. I stroked her ears, massaged her cheeks, which helped to calm her. Eventually she laid down and with a big sigh finally fell asleep. After about a half hour she awoke as though nothing were wrong. She gave me a final lick on the nose and hopped off my lap to do her own thing.
I don't know what frightened her. She doesn't get scared at environmental things. But the other night the power went out in the middle of the night and flickered several times, causing the smoke detector to make some strange beeping sounds. That startled her, although she settled back into sleep. I can only think the oven timer, which sounds similar, may have triggered a scare as it happened not too long before.
Regardless of why, it once again reminded me that while she may prefer to do her own thing, and definitely has her own opinions on things, when it comes down to the serious stuff she looked for me, for acknowledgement, for comfort, and for company. A trust that cannot be expressed in our language, and stronger than any description can even begin to measure. It's something you just know when you experience it, and it makes your heart feel as big as the world.
Gaci may not be perfect. But there aren't too many things that feel more right than that bond that we share.
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