I dreamt about my black Cocker Spaniel, Shelby, last night. She passed away a year and a half ago, on our wedding anniversary actually. To clarify, I specify by saying my 'black' Spaniel because we have a new Cocker Spaniel now, with the same name (by quite an interesting coincidence; a long story for a future post) and she is buff in colour.
And I say ‘my’ Shelby simply because I got her before Shauna and I were married. Shelby immediately accepted Shauna as a new member of her pack, and she transitioned to become ‘our’ dog very quickly after the wedding.
It was one of those ‘feel good’ dreams; the best kind. I awoke with a smile on my face. It was one of those dreams that I fought with my memory banks to actually remember this one. Human RAM memory is ruthless in the way that it erases most traces of dreams in the time it takes to get from the bedroom to the bathroom in the morning. I don’t normally keep a dream journal, but I knew this one was a keeper.
In my dream I was with a group of people on the shore of some unidentified body of water. It seemed like we were all setting up for a picnic. Someone asked me where Shelby was and I replied with something like, “She couldn’t make it today.”
Then someone else asked, “Isn’t that her on the shore across the lake?”
I looked in that direction and sure enough, there was a small black canine shape running along the beach. I was elated! I hurried along this side of what seemed like a U-shaped shoreline until I reached a low-height gate. I unlatched and opened it, and Shelby leapt into my arms!
As I looked at myself in the mirror this morning I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. And why should I, really? Upon recollection of the whole dream I was actually close to tears (happy ones, of course). I knelt down and gave our new Shelby a hearty rub behind the ears until she chortled with contentment. She really is a love bug, that one.
I know many people don't accept that dogs might have souls. I believe they do.
While I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a 'Dog Whisperer', I’ve felt bonds to dogs for as long as I can remember. And as far as I’m concerned, although my black Shelby is no longer living, her spirit definitely is, and a thought or memory of her always makes me smile.
And I say ‘my’ Shelby simply because I got her before Shauna and I were married. Shelby immediately accepted Shauna as a new member of her pack, and she transitioned to become ‘our’ dog very quickly after the wedding.
It was one of those ‘feel good’ dreams; the best kind. I awoke with a smile on my face. It was one of those dreams that I fought with my memory banks to actually remember this one. Human RAM memory is ruthless in the way that it erases most traces of dreams in the time it takes to get from the bedroom to the bathroom in the morning. I don’t normally keep a dream journal, but I knew this one was a keeper.
In my dream I was with a group of people on the shore of some unidentified body of water. It seemed like we were all setting up for a picnic. Someone asked me where Shelby was and I replied with something like, “She couldn’t make it today.”
Then someone else asked, “Isn’t that her on the shore across the lake?”
I looked in that direction and sure enough, there was a small black canine shape running along the beach. I was elated! I hurried along this side of what seemed like a U-shaped shoreline until I reached a low-height gate. I unlatched and opened it, and Shelby leapt into my arms!
As I looked at myself in the mirror this morning I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. And why should I, really? Upon recollection of the whole dream I was actually close to tears (happy ones, of course). I knelt down and gave our new Shelby a hearty rub behind the ears until she chortled with contentment. She really is a love bug, that one.
I know many people don't accept that dogs might have souls. I believe they do.
While I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a 'Dog Whisperer', I’ve felt bonds to dogs for as long as I can remember. And as far as I’m concerned, although my black Shelby is no longer living, her spirit definitely is, and a thought or memory of her always makes me smile.
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