I was not expecting that quote from "Charlotte's Web" to hit me so hard today. We said goodbye to our eleven-year-old German Shepherd just over a year ago, and that loss has been so unexpectedly deeper than goodbyes to other dogs have been. She was with us through some hard times in life, and that sums her up: she was a friend.
I have found myself thinking a lot in recent years that farm/ranch dogs have the genuinely happiest lives, compared to the most pampered of pets. For working breeds, it seems unkind or even cruel to limit them to idle lives where they know little beyond an apartment or a tiny backyard, or spend most of their days in a pen or crate while their owner is at work. Even though we had a sizeable yard and gave our German Shepherd the most active lifestyle we were able to, I'd sometimes think how she would have loved to have more room to roam and run, or a job that exercised her incredible intelligence and energy. I know it's something I would consider seriously if ever choosing another dog, whether my lifestyle would allow the breeds/temperament to live the kind of life an animal is meant to live.
Those goodbyes are so hard - and meaningful. She sounds like a loyal pal indeed.
It is something to think about, and one of the reasons we haven't gotten a dog in our current situation is because I don't want it to live in a crate while I am away from home...hopefully, one day my life will be more home-centric and we'll have plenty for a farm dog to do. I certainly don't think city folks or people with jobs away from home should never have dogs, but it is so much nicer when they can spend most of their time running and working and doing their natural dog things!
I was not expecting that quote from "Charlotte's Web" to hit me so hard today. We said goodbye to our eleven-year-old German Shepherd just over a year ago, and that loss has been so unexpectedly deeper than goodbyes to other dogs have been. She was with us through some hard times in life, and that sums her up: she was a friend.
I have found myself thinking a lot in recent years that farm/ranch dogs have the genuinely happiest lives, compared to the most pampered of pets. For working breeds, it seems unkind or even cruel to limit them to idle lives where they know little beyond an apartment or a tiny backyard, or spend most of their days in a pen or crate while their owner is at work. Even though we had a sizeable yard and gave our German Shepherd the most active lifestyle we were able to, I'd sometimes think how she would have loved to have more room to roam and run, or a job that exercised her incredible intelligence and energy. I know it's something I would consider seriously if ever choosing another dog, whether my lifestyle would allow the breeds/temperament to live the kind of life an animal is meant to live.
Those goodbyes are so hard - and meaningful. She sounds like a loyal pal indeed.
It is something to think about, and one of the reasons we haven't gotten a dog in our current situation is because I don't want it to live in a crate while I am away from home...hopefully, one day my life will be more home-centric and we'll have plenty for a farm dog to do. I certainly don't think city folks or people with jobs away from home should never have dogs, but it is so much nicer when they can spend most of their time running and working and doing their natural dog things!