Secret’s “Gotcha Day” is coming up soon. On October 1st, she will have been with us for five years. She was six when we adopted her from her rescuer. When she came to live with us, she had a constant look of concern on her face. She always seemed worried. Her demeanor seemed older than six; we felt like we had adopted an “old” dog. Twenty-two dog years have passed since then* and, in some ways, Secret seems younger now than she did then.
Recently, I took a photo of her that reminded me of a photo from the first or second day after we adopted her. I put them side-by-side to compare. Obviously, there are more signs of aging than I realized before I looked at this – her coloring is lighter, her features are softer – but the amazing change that jumped out at me from these was that the worried look is gone. She is a content, healthy, well-loved dog now and it shows!
Secret in 2006 & 2011
It makes me incredibly happy to know I played a part in changing this sweet dog’s life for the better.
*The 1 year = 7 “dog years” formula is only an average. Dogs mature at a slower rate as they age.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you so much for writing this. Sometimes I forget to be grateful for the subtler changes and this was a good reminder.
It was a good reminder for me as well to appreciate all my dogs for who they are at this very moment in time.
She has aged well.
You can tell from the first picture she looked worried the recent she looks much happier and alert.
Most old shiba inu I’ve seen seem to age well in their old age and are pretty healthy for a dog their age.
I hope she lives for many years to come.
Oh, goodness! She had almost the same color as Koji does now. Guess I probably have a white pup too look forward to as the Kojster gets older.
This blog is seriously depressing. Especially all these “Heart Dog” posts. Your obsession with dogs is the sign of a lonely generation of men and women, desperate to nurture a creature that gives them a counterfeit fore of the ‘love’ that is not forthcoming from more traditional sources. Except that the “love” in this sense is merely submissive pack behavior for food. Nothing more–the concept of dog soulmate or ‘heart dog’ is laughable. And I’m sure deep down you know this. If your dog is truly your ‘heart dog’, prove it. Unleash him on your next walk. See if he runs. Has he ever run away from you before? I’ll bet he has and I bet he ran without a second thought of you.
Hello Cora,
Instead of reinventing the wheel in my comment, I’ll just point you to this post instead: Discussion: The Benefits of Companion Animals to Society. Much of the discussion in the comments addresses your thoughts.
Thanks for visiting,
Jenna
I don’t disagree that dogs are useful in society at all. I just think the whole heart dog thing is delusional and unhealthy. Like a child, who truly loves a stuffed animal or a security blanket. The love that child feels for the blanket and the child’s emotional dependence on the blanket is certainly real; but that doesn’t mean the blanket loves the child back.
I was really directing you to that post because the comments have some great insight into the bond that people form with companion animals and how beneficial that can be and also because the running off without a leash argument was also addressed, not to show that “dogs are useful.”
I would be happy to direct you to some research on human/animal interaction, but it seems (from comments like …the concept of dog soulmate or ‘heart dog’ is laughable. And I’m sure deep down you know this… that you’re only here to express an opinion and not open to any ideas different from your own. Let me know if I’m wrong though. This site is all about sharing and learning.