I met a special dog

When I was out for a walk the other day, I ended up seeing someone I usually talk to. I usually talk to him outside his house while he’s working in his garden, but this time I was walking his dog.

The last time I remember seeing the dog was when he was running through a field, naturally trying to round up the sheep. You may be thinking right now that this dog must be a herding dog and if you are, you are right.

My past

If I was asked if I prefer dogs or cats, I would say I prefer dogs. As a child, we had two golden retrievers, along with many other pets.

So since there were no cats around, I didn’t have a chance to develop an understanding or appreciation for them. When I think about the animals that we had, I had a special bond with many of them.

A unique experience

Anyway, when I looked at the dog, at first I thought it was just like any other dog. But, after a while, I got the feeling that this dog was different from many of the dogs he had known over the years.

This dog seemed very present and when I extended my hand, he came walking towards me. It was as if he was not alone in the presence of a dog; He was in the presence of a being that was more than his physical form.

My experience

I felt very comfortable with the dog and instantly opened up when he walked towards me. It has been said that some, if not all, animals embody unconditional love and this dog seems to be an expression of this kind of love.

At that time I said that the dog had a strong presence and a special soul. Ultimately, he had a lot going on at a level beyond my intellect and I couldn’t really describe what he was experiencing.

Trying to put it all together

That night, I reflected on what had happened and once again thought that there was something different about the dog. I regularly run into dogs when I’m out for a walk, but many of them don’t seem to have much of a presence.

They tend to act like dogs, so they bark, sniff and jump. In other words, many of them seem to be controlled primarily by their instincts and operate at a ‘lower’ level of consciousness.

a therapy dog

A few days after this I saw the same guy again and after hearing him bark at the window I said “how is he?” He said that he was fine and went on to say that he was one of those dogs that walk around places like residences and schools to reassure people and cheer them up.

After hearing this, it was as if the experience I had had and what I had been thinking and feeling had been validated. She knew there was something different about the dog and what she had just heard proved it.

a funny story

They told me that she loves to eat cookies and that sometimes she has to go on a diet. This made me laugh and think that while he has a special gift, he is still subject to the impulses that all other dogs have.

This made me think about how a human being can have a lot of presence and be very affectionate and still have a series of shortcomings. A dog is still a dog and a human being is still a human being; neither is perfect or is he supposed to be.

final thoughts

Have you ever come across a dog like this or another animal that had a strong presence and was very affectionate? Maybe you have a pet that is like this and must experience this every day, or maybe you had a pet like this in the past and were able to experience this for many years.