We speak lovingly, fondly of teacher dogs. Who are they, why and when do they come to us? Teacher dogs are those precious souls who make many sacrifices so we foolish humans can learn. Not just learn anything, but more powerful, to move us to a new heightened awareness, to touch our hearts, to intertwine with our souls. These gentle wise spirits come when we are ready, when our inner selves are strong and it is time to look deeply into our own lives and what we are doing.
I believe teacher dogs to be great entities of enormous selflessness. Somehow or perhaps by plan, these special ones make their way so deeply into our lives, we are not aware of their in-depth presence until the lessons begin. Oh, but when those lessons start, our hearts ache as we journey on to a new world of knowledge and understanding.
Our journey commences with some extremely hard lessons, where we find our choices which have been made for our dogs and even our families were not good ones. These choices were founded on misguided beliefs and convention and now, we will see what is so very wrong with not just the choices but our world. The teachers are screaming, hey, wake up; the chemicals are killing us and you!
The Teacher Dogs bodies are manifestations of all the toxic chemicals, we have fed, injected, applied in the name of health, or so we thought. Here we are standing on the edge of a canyon our hearts breaking because with our new knowledge not only do we now finally understand, but we are shocked at how wide spread the damage is. We have experienced an awakening and now it is obvious what our mission is, pay it forward.
The Teacher Dog's job is done. We have seen with our own eyes what we needed to see. Our Teachers not only forced us to learn a new way, they inspired and encouraged and they gave us a precious gift, love unconditional love.
I hope I am worthy of such a gift. Although many years later, the memory of my Teacher Dog Katie and what the cancer did to her body, still causes me to sob, I will be eternally grateful for her selfless gift.
Blessed Be,
Kathleen
The Teacher Dog Journey continues with a few stories about those special dogs who have deeply touched the lives of their people. Please click here to read those stories.
Jan Morgan created a beautiful presentation of NR Teacher Dogs.
The song playing with the presentation is The Dance, by Garth Brooks. Please listen to the music and the words for the song is an important aspect of the presentation.
Teacher Dogs, Who are they, why are they here?
PATTY
Patty is my teacher dog and the one that has led me on the path to
raw feeding and natural rearing. I am going to share with you a
story that happened this weekend that involves my wonderful girl that
has taught me so much.
I just attended my first agility trial of the year this weekend which
just happened to be Ready 2 Run Agility clubs first trial of the
year. I am a founding member of this agility club that has been
around for about 4 years. The final trial we put on Oct of last year
was the final trial for my girl Patty. Patty was diagnosed with a
bone tumor in her cervical vertebrae March of last year. She had
finished all of her NATCH requirements except for jumpers at this
point. I chose to run her in jumpers only as a Vet through the summer
in an attempt to pick up those last 5 Q's (qualifying runs)we needed.
Through the summer we picked up one here and there and each run was a
precious gift as I was no longer actively training her. Her tumor
increasingly caused her difficulty in turning tightly so real twisty
turny courses were usually out. I went into the Oct trial knowing it
would be Patty's last trial. Together through difficult courses we
put in beautiful runs and qualified in both of our jumpers runs that
weekend. I left the ring in joyous tears both times with a bouncing,
happy, proud girl at my side. This left us just shy of our NATCH. A
dream I had with my girl, my first agility dog and the dog that has
taught me so very much about training, health, and the strength of
the human-dog bond.
Yesterday my club R2R surprised me in between walk throughs and
presented me with a NATCH pole and ribbon made just for me and Patty.
There was hardly a dry eye in the area. It makes me cry again just
writing about it. They called it the "would be NATCH" as said that
although we did not meet the final requirements for agility
champion we were Champions in their eyes and their hearts. What more
could I ask for. Unfortunately Patty was not there at the trial to
run her victory lap. I ran around instead with her grandson Justus
who was there attending his first trial. Patty gets upset at not
getting to play the game anymore with me so I had left her at home.
Patty remains fairly healthy just not able to do competitive agility
anymore. She still runs short low sequences sometimes at practice
when she insists.
The friends and people I have met in this sport can't be beat and I
feel so very fortunate to call all of them friends. I have not met
the quality of people that are in agility in any other dog sport. We
always need to remember the lives of our special companions are never
as long as ours. We cannot change that but we can give them the
healthiest and best chance at living that life to the fullest.
Katrina
Patty lost her battle with cancer in June of 2007 – she was 8 years old
POOKIE
When I got Pookie I was going thru a rough patch in my life. My partner had recently passed away and I was incredibly sad. I decided it was time for me to have a dog in my life again. It had been 15 years since I had a dog.
I found a breeder of French bulldogs 5 minutes away from my loft in Brooklyn. He informed that he an adult available but she did have some health issues. She had severe auto immune issues. Her whole body reeked of yeast. She was incredibly itchy and every waking hour she was scratching, unless she was on steroids.
I started doing research to find a way to help heal her and relieve her suffering. I cooked for Pookie for 2.5 years with very little improvements. Being a "responsible owner" I made sure she was vaccinated for rabies yearly(even though it was only required every 3 years....something I didn’t know and the vets didn’t tell me) and she had to have her monthly heartworm medication, even though we live in a NYC loft and she spent a maximum of 30 minutes outside daily. I didn’t want to keep giving her steroids and antibiotics, but that was the only thing that would give her temporary relief.
I knew something drastic would have change to bring Pookie more permanent relief. I could not stand to see her suffering the way she was and I considered having her put down. I decided to try one last thing, that I thought sure would make her worse, but at the point she was we did not have much to lose. I switched Pookie to a raw diet. The change in Pookie's health was incredible! She had an increased energy, she became less itchy and smelly and she was obviously feeling better.
After seeing how much Pookie improved, I switched my other dogs and my cats to raw as well. When my next-door neighbor saw how much Pookie improved, she switched her 3 dogs and 2 cats to raw too. My best friend even started feeding his 4 dogs a partial raw diet.
I decided to not stop at the food. I weaned Pookie off of all medications, parasite preventives and vaccines (accept those required by law). Every year she improved more and more.
I began to learn about alternative health care and healing modalities. I use homeopathy, Chinese herbs, acupuncture and chiropractic as well as Reiki, flower essences and essential oils for healing my animals and myself.
I don't use any commercial cleaners or pesticides in my home or yard. I only use vinegar and water w/ lemon, baking soda and peroxide.
I have found wonderful holistic vets who completely support how I raise my dogs.
I am on a mission to spread the word about alternative healing and natural nutrition. If it were not for Pookie, I would probably not have ventured down this path. Because of her I have 3 generations of Naturally Reared dogs. Pookie will be celebrating her 11th Birthday on May 28, 2007 (the same day as my late partner) and her health continues to improve.
Pookie
James Hicks
El Jack Basenjis and French Bulldogs
Raw Fed and Naturally Reared for Health & Longevity
http://www.onlynatural.info/James.htm
www.jameshicksphotography.com
Pookie died Oct.19, 2007 – she was 11 years old.
PAISLEY
Paisley, Dagon 'n Spandania Pip at Waccabuc, TD, CGC, was only one of my teacher dogs. But she was the second to have *severe* itching, after vaccines which ultimately led to blindness, and the one to really make me sit up and take notice regarding what might be the cause. I didn't manage to help her in her lifetime, but her legacy has made my current dogs healthier.
Betty
Betty Lewis, RVT,Dr.A.N. Animal Communicator/Holistic Consultant
Waccabuc Great Danes/Whippets & Paws and Reflect
KATE
KATE & JOEY
I am the proud owner of two French Bulldogs; Joey and Kate. They are
3 and a half now. I have had Joey from birth, and he is my very best
friend. He's extremely healthy. Kate, my beautiful teacher dog came
to me just over a year ago. Shortly after receiving her second
vaccinations (6 of them! as there was an apparent Parvo scare), she
became very itchy and allergic to kibble. The previous owners had
children and were unable to care for her properly. She was returned
to the breeder twice covered in scabs from itching, underweight, and
hair loss. Through home cooked meals, she was able to recover, but
had been through so much. So it was then that my breeder contacted
me as she knew I had always wanted two companions. I immediately said yes, as she was Joey sister.
That’s when my journey began. We immediately switched to raw, and I
began to see improvement, but it wasn't long before her symptoms
returned that I knew I had to help her. I initially started with
holistic vets, who after trying every test, ended up wanting to go
the steroid route. It was the only thing that seemed to help. Then
I found this group. Kate was trying to tell me how to help her. She
wanted to live; I could see it in her eyes. It was at that point
only about 7 months ago, when her personality changed. She took
charge. She directed me what to do, and gave me the strength to do
so. Her eyes began to connect with mine. She began to follow me
around, and began to trust me. Our moments of play and tenderness
have been the most amazing experience I have been through. I have
learned from Kate to be more patient, and have learned to ask why.
By doing this, I myself as a person have grown, as well as what I
have learned. There is a whole different methodology of "how to raise
a dog" out there; a world that was kept from me with conventional
vets; a world that we both had the right to know about.
Having said that - I continue my constant search for knowledge and
answers. Kate is all to willing to show me the way. It has been a
very, very, very long journey thus far. But Kate and I are very
much at peace. She is getting the very best care she possibly can
get, and is slowly improving.
I now have two best friends.
Susanne MacLeod
MUNCIE
OUR TEACHER DOG
MUNCIE
5/31/2001 – 6/30/2005
Although you were not with us very long
We did discover all we did wrong
Thank you for helping us to learn
About everything to which we will never return
You led us to a new beginning
One that will continue and be never ending
You asked for so little
but left us with a reward so great
We may not be together in the way we used to be
but a stronger part of you continues to live on– it just changed form
For all the new knowledge we have obtained
It is a gift that will never fade
What you have taught me I will not outgrow
As we continue on the journey of natural rearing
With a difference we now know
Be free, my teacher
Free from the effects of what we fed,
vacs and meds
So it is befitting to say
You will always be remembered and treasured
“As the wind beneath our wings”
Barbara & Vic
CHICKLET
My teacher dog
Well, I have many and unfortunately it took many but the most present one, the one I made all the changes for, was my Chicklet.
I picked up Chicklet at the airport in Sept 2000, she was 10 weeks old, she was so little and adorable. I fell in love right away. She came from a kibble vaccinating breeder. She was to be our first brood bitch.
Within two days of coming home she was examined by my “then” vet. She had worms, ear mites and a low grade heart murmur. I asked my vet to write up some sort of documentation stating this pup was not a good breeding prospect. He nicely refused and assured me she’d be just fine. Before leaving his clinic he vaccinated her, right on schedule, she also received bordatella, heartworm medication, antibiotic and ear mite medication. I left the clinic feeling reassured that all would be fine, but I wasn’t satisfied with the health of this pup, I wanted a healthy bitch from the get go to breed from. She was cute and loveable but…….something just didn’t seem right, even though my gut instinct told me so, I decided to trust in what my vet told me, she’d be ok. I was brought up to believe and trust in the people in white coats, after all, they were well schooled and trained, where I was not. I also have a son with Cystic Fibrosis and I trusted (had too) the people in white coats to look after his health.
Over the next 3 months Chicklet continued to get sicker within a day or two of receiving her vaccinations. Her vaccine schedule continued as per schedule. We continued to see the vet almost weekly with one problem or another, continuously compounding. By the time she was six months old and mega $$$$ later, she was near death. She could not eat anything (prescription food, kibble of all brands) without breaking into hives (her last vaccination was given as the hives were full blown), she feared everything, she would live under my bed, she even feared her own shadow, she could not concentrate and her body odor smelled of death, to the point my male was shunning her and refused to be anywhere near her. My mind went back to all of my previous teacher dogs and there illness’.
I started looking at all of her health records and oh my god “it was happening again”. But this time, my eyes were wide open. I saw it. It was so clear what was happening. I felt sick to my stomach and vomited with fear of what I’d done “again”!
I had talked with her breeder several times during this ordeal. After the first vet visited I wanted to send her back, but she continued to refuse and encouraged me to keep Chicklet, also breed from her.
I never did send her back, because I knew, she came to me for a reason, to teach me. I also knew she wouldn’t get the care she truly needed from anyone other than me. I knew deep in my heart the damage that was done and that she would not have a long life but she was going to get the best that I could provide for her. She lived 5 years longer than expected, she loved her raw foods which initially saved her life and she was never vaccinated again. She is my reason!
I wrote this tribute to Chicklet within the hour of putting her down.
June 28, 2000 – Oct. 11, 2005
Farewell My Little Angel Chicklet
It is because of you I have seen a whole new world, a better world.
It is because of you Ian is still alive and doing exceptionally well.
It is because of you I have seen and opened my eyes and mind.
It is because of you I feed and nurture my children and animals with wholistic means.
There are so many more "because of you" I could spend the rest of my life expressing them.
Thank-you for all the love, the kisses, the cuddles, good times and bad times you allowed me to share with you throughout your short 5 years. I am so grateful to have had you in my life to share and learn from. My heart has been physically aching all day and I don’t know when it will stop; I love you and miss you. Until we meet again, good-bye my sweet little Chicklet.
With love
Carole
KATIE
A Scottish Terrier Rescue named Katy entered my life October, 2000 and had a profound impact. Katy was a gentle, kind, soul. Katy-Did MacTavish. A Scotty with the spirit of an elephant and the heart of an angel. Born July 11, 1990. Oral Melanoma took her to the bridge May 9, 2002. I have taken this path of Natural Rearing Scotties because of all that I learned about Scotties and cancer. Katy lead me to this path and I will not stray from it. Katy, I made a pledge to you and will remain focused on my mission to breed a healthier longer lived Scottish Terrier. I thank Katy for all I am today, for she is all the reasons I am.
Kathleen
Jan Morgan created a beautiful presentation of NR Teacher Dogs.
The song playing with the presentation is The Dance, by Garth Brooks. Please listen to the music and the words for the song is an important aspect of the presentation.
