paws-for-thought
Welcome to the first edition of "Paws-for-thought". Each month we'll bring
you a brand new article.
How it all started - June 07 edition
With over 7 million households in the UK estimated to own a pet pooch it's not
surprising "a man's best friend" is his dog. Just over 2 years ago I became one
of those unsuspecting 7 million when an 8-week old cross-breed, rough coated
terrier chose me as her new surrogate mother. It was infatuation and intrigue at
first sight. There was no going back and as I started to take a closer look at
the history of our canine companions I began to understand the nations
ever-growing obsession with our four-legged friends.
Even as far back as Egyptian times man's best friend has been helping champion
wars and sniff out the enemy. It is even documented that some military dogs on
duty in more recent wartimes have sniffed out booby traps from as far away as
1,000 metres and throughout history dogs have been bestowed with prestigious
awards both on and off the the battlefield for their courage, bravery and
devotion.
In her fascinating book; "Dogs at War", Blythe Hamer recounts many stories of
canine courage and devotion including reports that one dog during the Battle of
Shiloh in Tennessee in April 1862 stood guard over his dead masters body for
more than 12 days, only ever deserting his post for food and water. There are
countless remarkable stories of devotion throughout history such as the famous "Greyfriar's
Bobby" who famously sat by his master's grave every single day for years after
his death in 1858, so loathe was he to be parted from his master.
Today our canine friends still continue to "stand by their man" with an
unwaivering loyalty that us mere humans can only dream of emulating. This
unshakeable devotion has even inspired movie-makers around the globe to
entertain us with stories of canine capers with perhaps the most noteable tale
of loyalty told through the fictional story of the loveable long-haired Collie
"Lassie" which recently enjoyed yet another outing on the big screen with the
latest re-make.
Today though, rather than a medal for contribution beyond the call of duty, some
pampered pooches highest accolade is the comfort of their celebrity owner's
newest designer handbag.
But not all dogs have the privilege of snuggling up in a Chloe designer pooch
carrier. Some breeds still work for a living and like their war-hero ancestors
make an invaluable contribution and remain everyday unsung heroes to the
vulnerable in today's society such as the deaf and blind. So it's no wonder
man's best friend continues to inspire and beguile us with their
undisputable
charm.
Indeed my own dog "Tosca", who by the way is "editor in charge" of the website
was the inspiration for the site and for this reason
we'd love to hear how your dog has inspired you! If you have an inspirational
story about your dog or a family or friend's dog please email it to us and those
chosen to appear on the website will receive a FREE pack of our fabulous
inspiring and humorous postcards. Whatever your story we'd love to share it with
our readers so your "best friend" can continue to uplift and inspire around the
globe.
Please submit your story with your full name and address to
info@inspirationaldogs.com.
See you next month!