Dog Pure Awareness blog

I just posted 5 more haikus by Chloe to see if they give us any insight into the way she relates differently to the various beings in her life.

The bearded human fears to see me grow.

He thinks I’ll dump his canoe.

6.

I cock my head and strain to grasp their meaning.

Alas!  they don’t speak dog.

7.

The trainer with the squirt bottle is to be feared.

She understands me.

8.

The little human with striped socks is a push-over.

She gives biscuits.

9.

The human keeps telling me to sit.

Let her sit! I have things to do.

Yes, we need to hear from Chloe. If Chloe only responds to “Bob’s” sneezing, we need to ask her what distinguishes Bob’s sneezing from Bev’s (or anyone elses). Now here is another thought: Bob is the male leader of the pack. Is it possible that his sneezing is more significant in some way to Chloe because he is the male leader? I know that Shiro treats Soren, the male pack leader, differently from the rest of us. And Bryce, before he died, responded differently to Soren also.

Meg, thank you for your kind and insightful words about the book. As you saw, I have great difficulty with death. I know that some people have reached an inner state of acceptance, but as much as I have studied and practiced spiritual traditions, I have not reached that acceptance. In the woods with Shiro I feel the oneness of everything and the sense that death is a return to that unity. But in the house, in the human world, I go into an inner state of fear when a close companion, dog or human, dies.

Anyway, I’m glad that my struggle with this, and Paul’s comment, helped with Henry’s death. Paul made that comment years ago and I never forgot it. Maybe (I am thinking out loud now) I should try writing more about the death of one’s dog. I know that many very good people have already done this, but another work from a slightly different perspective can’t hurt.