Dog Lover

Mine Dog

The topic of abandoned contract working dogs came up. I am sure some dogs have been abandoned or euthanized. With some companies it is just cheaper to euthanize a dog. If you remember years ago our company worked to rescue K-9 Pito from a company in Afghanistan that had already euthanized one dog.Just horrible for a company to do especially a Western world company. It appears that a very solid rescue @kabul_animal_rescue was able to get their dogs out. They had dealt with some contract working dogs a few weeks back. But I wonder how many working dogs will be left. In the photos we were visiting a mine dog in 2009 a project funded by the US State Department but with no US supervision. The dogs were trained in Kabul then sent around the country on various projects. There was also several large NGOs that had mine dog projects in more remote areas. I am curious what happened to all those dogs. Dogs are hated by the Taliban and most Afghans so it would be a terrible fate to leave a dog behind. We absolutely value human life over that of a dog but these are dogs that haven given everything to protect human life. #dogsfordefense #d4d #k9 #workingdog #minedog #mal #malinois (at Kabul, Afghanistan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTNBiTorHMC/?utm_medium=tumblr

Didn't want a Dog, now I have Three !!!

I never wanted dogs. I know that by saying that, I sound like a terrible person, but it wasn’t just dogs, I didn’t want pets in general. Personally, I just didn’t see the logic of getting a pet, especially during college, everything is already super expensive. If I got a dog, I would need to buy it things, not mentioning the vet bills, apartment pet deposit or any damages done by the dog. Also, pets need attention, love, time, and that’s almost impossible if I’m working or in class, I would feel bad. The point is I didn’t want a pet, maybe when I graduated, or when I thought having one would be less work, I didn’t want the responsibility.

The problem was I started dating someone I really liked, and he had a dog named, Bristol. Bristol hates everybody except my boyfriend, I mean she can tolerate people/other dogs, but for the most part she rather be by herself with my boyfriend on a beach somewhere alone. This dog is a 15 years old, chihuahua/Pomeranian mix, who is filled with so much attitude it borders on hateful. This dog hated me, but I couldn’t take it personal, since it hated everybody else too. Now my boyfriend (lets call him James) loves this dog, I mean this dog has been with him for 15 years, he loves this dog. I wasn’t that big into dogs, I had one as a kid, love it, it died, and I haven’t had one since. My parents took care of my childhood dog, Chona, so I had fond memories of her, but not compare to people who do the grunt work.

Bristol

Anyway, James and I moved into the same apartment, a studio apartment, super small with the kitchen, living room and bedroom all in one open space, the restroom had the only door, so yeah it sucked. Bristol was new to me, when I moved in, I didn’t have a job (that’s how you know James loved me lol) so all my time was spend with her, she kept to herself and expected me to do the same, unless she needed to potty (go to the restroom). Like I said before, I never wanted another dog, I didn’t want the responsibility, and Bristol wasn’t my dog, but we spend a lot of time together, at that point she was 13, still old, but still playful (with James not me). Since she didn’t care for me, she would never cuddle, always bark when I tried to hold her, and never listen me.

I want to point out, I never hated this dog, but that didn’t mean I was always thrilled to wake up to one who hated me. Also, Bristol wasn’t like an ugly T-Shirt James had that I could convince him to throw out (not that I ever wanted too). I was simply uninterested in doing the dog person responsibilities, I didn’t want to walk it or take it out to pee or basically be considerate of it, I just wanted to be responsible of me. I know how ridicules all of this sounds, but I thought it was interesting how people fall in love and then change, not for someone else, but because of someone else.

James loves dogs obviously, but he loves just about any other pet too, he ones convinced me to get four baby ducks at a Tractor Supply Store. Well he didn’t convince me, more like I said, “no they’ll poo everywhere”, and he took that as gets four baby ducks while I’m at work, because there cute. They eventually found a good home, just not with us.

Bristol is old, she will eventually move on, and James knows this, but obviously isn’t thrilled about it, I know this too, and while I eventually have gotten to the point of  loving Bristol in my own way, I will be sad in a different way than James. I am terrible with sad events and originally, I look up on ways to help people grieving over lost pets, as a precaution, I wanted to be prepared So I would know exactly what to do. Not that me knowing would really change much, but I did read an article that said getting the person another dog after the loss of one, would feel like they are replacing the one that died.

I read that sometimes it helps to have a dog that knew the old one, that meant getting another dog. I talked to James about it and we agreed that it was something to think about. James knew I didn’t’ really cared for dogs, so he was basically asking me to think about it, because James of course wanted the dog. That’s how we ended up with Whiskey, a nervous dog, a little shy and very sweet, but Bristol didn’t care for her, since Bristol hated everybody, but they learned to live together. However, Whiskey was lonely, Bristol was too old to play and fragile, and while Whiskey was super sweet towards Bristol, you could tell she wanted Bristol to pay attention to her too. So again, me and James talked, I said “let’s get a fluffy dog this time.”

Whiskey

Well I went to pick one out at a dog Rescue, but she turned out to not be fluffy at all, she was definitely mix with a dachshund and honestly wasn’t my first choice, but she kept looking at me with sad eyes and I just couldn’t say no. Also, I felt like James would love this one too, but the best part was that she and Whiskey seemed like old friends. We named that one Ruby. Three dogs.

Ruby

The funny thing is that I didn’t realize I had three dogs until I did, if that makes any sense and it was interesting to say the least, all of them had their own personalities. The weird part was that I can honestly say I love them, its weird to say that, because I just never thought I has the potential to care about something that isn’t human. I know that’s strange, but it was just an unexpected positive in my life.

Together

Links to Articles about pet Loss:

10 Ways to Heal After Losing a Pet

Coping with the death of your pet

Coping with Losing a Pet

new touch the skyrim is good apart from the dog

#babyZoey👶🏻🍼💘 #munequitaZoey #minedog #gateando #explorando (en Home Sweet Home)

Anti-personnel mines used in Bosnian war were usually dug between the trenches and the enemy. The location of Serb–Croat-frontline right here changed several times during the war – but the land mines remained underground for 15 years.

Photo (c) Miikka Järvinen 

The de-miners and mine detection dog handlers are wearing ballistic vests and helmets. The mine detection dog coordinator Vedad Omerhafisovic is holding the map – the clearance plan of Orašje mine field.

Photo (c) Miikka Järvinen 

“Søk!” The used command language is Norwegian, as it is for every mine detection dog trained by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

Photo (c) Miikka Järvinen 

After 11 meters there is a mark in the leash. Alen commands his dog to come back. “Kom og søk!” Aaron turns around and walks the same lane back to Alen, all the time searching, snout on the ground. The lane is detected four times back and forth.

Photo (c) Miikka Järvinen 

The four hours of intensive mine detection is over. The working day of the dogs and the handlers is coming to an end. “Dogs have good days and bad days, just as humans do. But working together goes always well. Otherwise I couldn’t do this job. I trust Aaron completely”, Alen Krijestorac says. At home Alen has a wife and two kids. His eight years old son has already learned to be worried every time when daddy goes to work.

Photo (c) Miikka Järvinen