Author unknown
As
you now know, Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network was created because a special
Cairn Terrier was killed by a car. Please read this and remember to always keep
YOUR new special family member safe, in memory of the Colonel.
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 one for
which there are inoculations. The
disease is called "Trust".
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, destroy
anything expensive left in their path, 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 part of the house
puddle free. All the windows and doors had been properly secured, and signs
placed in all strategic points reminding all to "Close the door!"
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,
less leakage. Almost before you know it, your clumsy, wild 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 if that cake wasn't' still on the table this
morning. And, oh yes, wasn't that the cat he was sleeping with so cozily on
your pillow last night?
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 suggests 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 night, you even let him slip
out the front door to go potty and then right back in.)
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 whistle to send him racing back to you in a burst of
speed when the walk gets too close to the highway. (He still gets in the
garbage cans, but nobody is perfect!)
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 outdoors,
jumping out windows or coming when called due to traffic. Perhaps it was only a
paper fluttering in the breeze, a squirrel, a passer-by, or even just the sheer
joy of running....
Stopped
in an instant. Stilled forever - your heart is broken at the sight of his still
beautiful body.
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.
Please read this every year on your
puppy's birthday, lest we forget.
