Wimpy, a Friend, a Star!

Animals are special creations of God which come in all sorts of sizes, species and breeds  - some furry with purrs, others hairy with woofs, some come with feathers, some with manes and built to "saddle up".  These are just a few of some of the four legged critters that people bring into their lives to form a unique bond of friendship.  Many of us prefer one kind over another or have several varied friends roaming the house or pasture.  There will be future posts highlighting different animals but today's post is focusing on the loyal dog.

I'd like to introduce you to Wimpy,  a Border Collie dog who became a member of our family.   Wimpy was a working cow dog.  He loved to do "his job" in herding livestock.... he was alert to commands which would tell him to head or heel cattle.  Briefly, this term means:  head  is to get in front of the animals and use what is called strong eye  to stare them down. These headers or fetching dogs keep livestock in a group. They consistently go to the front or head of the animals to turn or stop the animal's movement. To heel  means to keep pushing the animals forward. Typically, they stay behind the herd.  Wimpy could do both - he was a natural to head or to heel livestock.  He would take off down a hill to move cattle along or stay in front of a herd that would stop them in their tracks to avoid scatter.  He was able to bring back cattle from places that were not safe for horse and rider to go.    

Wimpy also loved his family.  As you can tell from the enlarged photo below, his eyes tell you that.  He was a faithful friend, eager to show his unconditional love and receive all the love he could get from hands that would pet him in reward and caring.  He was a shy and timid pup when he came to us and that's why he was tagged with the name "Wimpy".  As he grew into an adult dog, he proved himself to be anything but wimpy and was aggressive in his job as a stock dog as he learned to understand what was expected of him and trust his human friend for direction.  I wish I could say that Wimpy was still with us but he began to fade in his older age.  A day came when we knew that his will to live was leaving him and it wouldn't be long for that final earthly farewell.  It is always hard to lose a valuable friend, whether they have four legs or two.  In God's infinite mercy and grace, WHO IS the embodiment of Unconditional Love, it is consoling to think that our critter companions in life will be waiting for us on the other side when it's time for our journey to end.

Wimpy and "You're Wonderful"

If you look closely at Wimpy's picture, it gives you a true moment as to how a dog can feel about their human owner and friend.  A dog will endear themselves to their family and remain faithful and true.  They have an uncanny way of sensing your mood; they are patient in waiting for some show of affection or attention; they follow you with their eyes that just say "You're Wonderful!".  They want to be where you are... to sit or walk by your side;  they listen to your voice as you converse with them and their eyes blink and ears cock in agreement to whatever you say.  They have no judgement or conditions attached to love.  They forgive quickly, hold no grudges and respond with a wagging tail in acceptance.  They love to fetch and catch, run beside a 4-wheeler and ride in a pick-up truck or a car.  They are gentle enough to snuggle with a child and fierce enough to defend his own human friend in case of threat.  They get excited over a bone to chew and give you slobbery kisses in gratitude. What a wonderful idea God had in creating dogs to console, cheer, soothe, solace and also give us a lesson or two to improve our "people behavior".  They are far more adept at showing evidence of unconditional love than our own human counterparts in life.  The following quote shares this same thought......

Author, John Grogan, out of his book:  Marley and Me
“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.” 

This is a great little video which has wonderful thoughts regarding friendship with a dog in relation to God.  It is entitled "GoD And DoG" and is written, recorded and animated by Wendy J. Francisco. You can also view the video at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY

You can check out more of Wendy's talent at her great website at   www.wendyfrancisco.com

Now for all you cat lovers,  I will do a future post on cats (for which I have fond affection), but meanwhile here is another quote to think on....
“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”  -  Christopher Hitchens