I used to have a huge Gladiator Doberman. He had been trained as a "professional" guard dog, and was used to protect a lumber mill from vandalism during a strike. Once the mill re-opened, they were going to just put Bruno down, since he was not your typical family dog. One of the mill workers took him, instead, and when I first laid eyes on Bruno, it was in the early north Idaho spring, the weather was wet and cold. Bruno was tied to a heavy chain out in the open, no dog house for shelter, and his food was scattered in the mud. He was skin and bones thin. I asked the owner if he would give me the dog, and he told me Bruno's story, and I loaded Bruno in the back of my Mazda pickup, and took him along with me. Thus began a friendship that was to last for many years. I would take Bruno and we went for long walks every day as long as the weather was good. We both loved our walks together. One day, we were out for our walk, and there was an injured snake lying on the edge of the road. We lived in Western Washington at the time; so there were no poisonous snakes, and this was just a common garter snake. I knew if I left it lying on the road, it would certainly be run over and die; but at the same time, I was not inclined to pick the snake up and move it into the ditch , either. As I was deliberating what to do; Bruno reached down, gently picked the snake up, using only his lips so as not to hurt him further, and laid the snake in the ditch at the side of the road. I was flabbergasted, to say the least ! ! The only explanation that I have for this is that Bruno somehow read my mind, knew the snake needed help, and that I didn't want to touch it; so he rescued it himself.
That's a great story. I do get the suspicion that's there's more going on than meets the eye. It seems like dogs are especially tuned into their humans. How about the stories of dogs being lost hundreds of miles away from home and making it back on their own. That's tough to explain using normal science.
I think we can share a connection with our pets especially when a strong bond is formed. I do know that pets can be very in tune to a person's emotions. I have had dogs who when I was upset come over to me and want to be loving. The same with my cats, its as if they just know you need comfort even if you try to keep your emotions intact around them.
I don't know about a psychic connection, or about the actual motivations involved, but animals are not entirely stupid so I imagine that those who spend a great deal of time with people, such as our cats and dogs, are probably aware, at some level, when something is wrong. I know that when I was sick this winter, our youngest cat, Ella, hardly left me long enough to grab something to eat or use the litter box. Every time I woke up, she was there. Cutie also spent a great deal of time with me while I was bedridden, but her sister, Lydia, never once visited. Otherwise, Ella seems to always be doing her best to be fair, between myself and my wife, spending the same amount of time with both of us, or to stretch out, if she's lying on top of me, so that her paws will be on my wife.
I didn’t want to take @Craig Swanson ’s thread about Bubbles off topic, but we have kind of been discussing the possibility of our pets understanding what we are thinking, and this seemed like a good place to talk about this. One of the most compelling books that I have read on the topic was actually written by an Englishman, horse trainer, who had horses around the time of the Second World War, and he wrote a book about his experiences with his horses. It is called “Talking With Horses” by Henry Blake, and also has stories about other animals besides horses. His belief is that the animals can somehow see pictures in our mind, when we are visualizing something. After reading it, I tried it on my Tennessee Walker mare, which whom I had a special bond (which he also said was important). When I was riding in the woods, and there was a fork in the trail, I would look, without any movement whatsoever, at the trail I wanted to go down. Almost every time, my horse took the right trail. An impressive story in his book was an exhibition he was to do for the Queen, and he was excited to have the opportunity to perform for her. When he practiced his routine, once of the ideas he discarded as too complicated was to end the exhibition with a gallop up to the queen’s box, have his horse rear up, and then take a bow. He didn’t practice this, because he didn’t intend to do it, all he did was imagine it. Completely out of the blue, at the end of the show, his horse took off at a gallop, slid to a stop in front of the Queen, reared up, pawing the air, and then took his final bow, just like they had rehearsed the whole thing.
I swear that my last dog would sit, staring at me and sending me psychic messages: "Cheese.....cheese...CHEESE..you KNOW that you want cheese!!! And while you're in the kitchen, get me a couple pieces, too. Oh, and if there's any of that bacon left over from breakfast, I'd like some of that, also. And you don't have to get up right now......but I'm really, really hungry....."
We had 14 goats once. I remember when the first one died. I was devastated. Thought I must be a terrible goat person, and moped around for days. The other goats acted differently too, also moping around. A friend told me they were sad because of the goat that died. When the second one died, I decided to try and act as normal as possible around the other goats. I was bouncing around, chattering and horsing around, as usual. They didn't even notice another missing goat this time. It was obvious they didn't care. What I'm getting at is animals can read your behavior very well, definitely better than you can read theirs, imo. It's probably a survival instinct to be able to read even slight changes in behavior.
Not enough credit given to animals, they have emotions and can tune into ours. They have great instinct too of course. Your story touched me deeply Yvonne, because you are 'so aware' of the animals - a bond is crucial for both human and animal. Like humans, some animals are mentally disturbed, some are just 'out there' and haven't got a clue, but all deserve respect. I saw a video of a big chimp, elderly and dying. He lay there for days waiting for his time. A man knelt down to him and gently spoke. The chimp opened his weary eyes, which suddenly lit up at the sight of this man and the chimp cried out and reached out to the man and they embraced. I'm crying as I type it was so upsetting to witness but at least that chimp passed in a happier state. The man was his minder when the chimp was young and developing.
My first cat, Whiskers, I had for over eighteen years. I had wanted a cat all my life, but my older sister strongly objected. As soon as she got married, I got my cat! He was only 2 weeks old, did not yet have a real tail. Had to feed him with a doll bottle. We had so many adventures together. He saw me go through young adult hood, get married, have a baby, move to different states, etc. His death was a crushing blow. Hurt so bad. We were living with my mother in his older age. He enjoyed going to the top of a chair in our bedroom, where, if he stretched, he could turn the door handle of the closet, open it a bit, jump down and fully open the door from the floor and go in for some privacy. He loved doing that. The door handle would always make a creaking sound, so we always heard him doing this no matter where we were in the apartment. Shortly after Whiskers died I would sometimes hear that creaking sound. Thought I was losing it. Then, my mother and husband started hearing it too. I felt it was wrong to happen. Went to the room, told Whiskers how much I loved him but that it was time for him to leave and we would always be together one day. We never heard the sound again after that.
Ken. WOW! So many things we will never know. At least for now. Maybe forever. Wondrous, incredible things.
Chipper always slept right beside me on the bed, usually down by my feet. Sometimes when I go to bed at night, I feel him moving there beside me. I have several times sat up to see what was there, and nothing ever is. I hope that it is the “ghost of Chipper “ sleeping next to me. I miss him beyond measure.