
Hi all, Today is a glorious day in New Hampshire at least on the Seacoast. I have the privilege of living close enough to the beach to drive there and take my dog, Bandit, for a walk off leash.
First, a little background on our boy. Bandit is only 8, or at least that is the best guess, because Bandit is a rescue from a wonderful group, English Setter Rescue aka Above and Beyond English Setter Rescue. He was found in the woods of Virginia and was starving. The working theory is that he wasn’t a good hunting dog so someone dumped him. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence. (I know it is unconscionable.) He then lived with the foster family who found him in the woods. They gave him lots of love and care. We were then lucky enough to get paired with him in 2018 and he has been a part of the family ever since.
At the beach, I never have to worry about Bandit running off. You see Bandit doesn’t run, in fact, he barely trots. He doesn’t play ball, he sniffs and takes his time walking the shoreline. From day 1, Bandit has been gentle, sweet, and has remarkably ZERO food aggression. He is terrified of storms (wouldn’t you be if you had spent time in the VA woods during thunderstorms), and has a bit of separation anxiety, (probably afraid we are going to leave him like the last people).
Lesson 1. At the beach, dogs come running up to him, excited, sometimes barking and yet, Bandit just stands there, does the mutual sniffing and then walks away. If the other dog becomes too aggressive, Bandit will bark. Oh, did I forget to mention he doesn’t bark, I mean at all, he never has, except for the above situation and when he is dreaming. My lesson from this is I shouldn’t worry about others approaching me loudly and full of bravado. I don’t need to respond, I can choose to let them be and then quietly walk away without giving them further thought. I don’t need to bark back, there is a certain elegance in the non reaction.
Lesson 2 If Bandit gets tired, he stops, that’s it, just stops. He looks at me and then either sits or lays down, he is in no rush. Sometimes, I need to put him back on leash and give him a gentle tug to get him moving again. My lesson is that when I’m tired, I need to stop, regroup, take in the moment and then I do need to get on with it to complete the task at hand.
Lesson 3 At home, if there is room on the couch he is cuddled up next to one of us, (actually even if there is no room). My lesson is that when I’m with those I love, be with them, that’s all, just be present.
Lesson 4 When we are out, we often come home to Bandit and our 13 yo cat, Ellie May, sleeping next to each other. She has become his support animal. My lesson is that when I am scared or unsure, I need to reach out to a friend. Challenges are easier to handle when you have a friend.
So, there you have it, some thoughts on Life According to Bandit.
Enjoy the day, Sending love and light,
Jan
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