Dogs have feelings too...

Since the last post, Chanc has been feeling a bit under the weather, but thankfully she is doing much better now. I hesitated to write about what happened, but I think it will put that much more perspective on why she and other dogs are therapy dogs and especially why humans and animals have such a special bond.
About four weeks ago, Chanc showed all of the signs of being pregnant. However, after watching her health go downhill for a couple weeks I knew something wasn't right. I took her to the veterinarian and after a full day of tests and x-rays it was determined that Chanc had gone through a "false pregnancy". I won't bore you with all the physical reasons why this happens, but I think it is important to mention the emotional reaction she and other female dogs have when this occurs. Their deepest emotional reaction is one of mourning. Chanc became very depressed because she felt as if her own baby pups had died. Many times when a momma dog goes through this they will bury their toys as a coping mechanism because they think they are burying their very own pups who have passed away. Chanc still isn't herself, but I believe she needs time to process what she has gone through. She feels as if she has had a death in her life and it is teaching me the importance of human mourning and of us being there for one another through our difficulties. It isn’t just that I am watching her go through this, but I am also walking through it with her. I am reminded that her instincts are allowing her to process her emotions and she is a perfect example of what it means to be gentle with yourself when you are feeling down. I think many times we learn emotions are weakness but in essence they give us that much more strength, and we can’t always just ignore or “stuff our feelings”. As in Chanc’s case, they have to be expressed somehow.
As I was writing this update I was thinking about the movie "Marley and Me" and the part when Jennifer has a miscarriage…Marley is at her side through every tear and all of her mourning. Chanc will begin her work as a therapy dog at the Regions hospital in a couple of weeks and I hope that she will be able to be at others sides as they mourn as well. I am convinced that animals can feel emotions just like we humans can, and because of this it produces a bond that nothing can compare to.

Happy Holidays and thank you for reading Chanc's blog! ©

Nicholis the GREAT

The playground near my house is every child's dream, at least it would have been mine when I was a kid: two swing sets, monkey bars that wrap around a tunnel slide, a cyclone twirler, a teeter totter, not to mention three separate platform slides. Its simply amazing. Next to the playground is Chanc's frisbee field, also knows as the soccer field. She has a date with it every evening at 5:00. Yesterday, we got to go a little early and that's where we met Nicholis the GREAT. According to his dad, they were having a "guy" day hanging out at the park. His dad sat on the park bench watching Nicholis as he walked around, around, and around the playground going in and out of fits of crying and tantrums. He had a helmet on and by his actions and his dad's responses I knew he was an autistic child. I sat down on the swing-set with Chanc at my side. Somehow our presence, or better said Chanc's presence broke Nicholis pattern and he walked straight over to Chanc. Chanc greeted him like she had known him her whole life. I was actually shocked. I looked over at Nicholis dad and he looked shocked. We both sat silent as I watched Chanc pick up her friesbee and drop it at Nicholis' feet. Nicholis looked at me and I looked at his dad while he said, "It's ok Nic, you can throw the frisbee". I got off the swing and walked Nic and Chanc to the grass and stood there for the next twenty minutes watching Nic throw and Chanc fetch over and over and over; it seemed neither of them was wearing out of energy, but rather being reenergized by one another. Nic laughed as Chanc licked him and loved on him. I glanced over at his dad every few moments and his dad still sat speechless, but now had a smile on his face that nothing could have taken away. After Nic and Chanc were done playing, I told Nic's dad about Chanc's plans to work as a therapy dog. He said he had never seen anything like what had just happened, and he thanked Chanc for playing with Nic. He told her that more people needed to experience her and that she was going to do more great things like what she had done for them that day.
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A second Chanc

When I first saw her, she was alone, in a box, in the middle of a yard. She had been left by her sister's, her brother's, and it was apparent her mom was abandoning her as well. I hadn't planned on buying a pup so soon, but I couldn't bring myself to leaving her there. So, that was when our lives started together. I had named her before I bought her or knew of her situation. I came up with the name "Chanc" because there have been so many times in my life, and I am sure you can relate, when I have been given second chance's. I took the "e" off the end of Chanc's name to signify that this chanc was to be different, and believe me, it has been something I could of never expected.

I left that house with Chanc in my arms, my mom driving us home, and a feeling of happiness and contentment that I had just made one of the best decisions of my life. Chanc slept in my arms the whole way home (although it was only 10 minutes), but she continued to sleep for almost a week straight. When she wasn't sleeping my arms, she was sleeping at my feet. She had this way of never letting go of me, and she still doesn't, and I have never let go of her either. We both just understand one another. And I believe that's the way a dog and human relationship should be, you work, support, and accept one another, and know one another from the inside out. The way I see it, Chanc was given a second chance that day, but she gave me one too.

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