Runaway Dog and Feelings of Ownership and Depression
- Thread starter JonnyRadar
- Start date
Mountain Crown
The Living Force
I'm glad you have your dog back JR, good news indeed! 
FireShadow
Jedi Master
I am so happy for you!
Avi
Jedi Council Member
Hi JonnyRadar,
This is excellent news and I am happy for you. :) I am also glad to see what Anart wrote because I had been thinking this over for a few days, wondering how/why you let her out without her collar? I was hesitant to post not wanting to rub salt in the wounds, but perhaps there is a lesson here to learn and it has to do with taking CARE for that which we LOVE? Being CARE-FULL rather than careless?
But I do not know the details, perhaps she is often let out without a collar and returns no problem, maybe you are in a rural area, etc, etc.
And on that same token, I just posted about dogs that would often come to visit me and my girls (Madison and Rasa) and I would often let them in for a while, then either call the owner if I did not recognize the dog or let them back out if they were from the neighborhood. So what I am thinking is that perhaps there are also lessons in turns of trust in the universe? After all those dogs that would come to visit could have been missed? Though it was only a few hours....
At any rate, just offering some food for thought, and echoing the sentiments of Anart. After all, trusting the Universe sounds nice, but if we can take actions that support our trust in the Universe, this often helps. :)
With kind regards,
~Avi
PS - I would be interested to hear what you find the meaning to be behind this event? In other words, what did you take from it/learn?
PPS - I've had dogs go missing before when a child, days on end . . . they did not return.
This is excellent news and I am happy for you. :) I am also glad to see what Anart wrote because I had been thinking this over for a few days, wondering how/why you let her out without her collar? I was hesitant to post not wanting to rub salt in the wounds, but perhaps there is a lesson here to learn and it has to do with taking CARE for that which we LOVE? Being CARE-FULL rather than careless?
But I do not know the details, perhaps she is often let out without a collar and returns no problem, maybe you are in a rural area, etc, etc.
And on that same token, I just posted about dogs that would often come to visit me and my girls (Madison and Rasa) and I would often let them in for a while, then either call the owner if I did not recognize the dog or let them back out if they were from the neighborhood. So what I am thinking is that perhaps there are also lessons in turns of trust in the universe? After all those dogs that would come to visit could have been missed? Though it was only a few hours....
At any rate, just offering some food for thought, and echoing the sentiments of Anart. After all, trusting the Universe sounds nice, but if we can take actions that support our trust in the Universe, this often helps. :)
With kind regards,
~Avi
PS - I would be interested to hear what you find the meaning to be behind this event? In other words, what did you take from it/learn?
PPS - I've had dogs go missing before when a child, days on end . . . they did not return.
anart said:
anothermagyar
Dagobah Resident
Yeah!
Great news!
I felt bad when I read your post yesterday.
But I'm so glad your puppy is back! :D
JonnyRadar
The Living Force
Wow, i came back and there's two pages of posts here! thank you all for the kind words and for your input... Bird (her name) is resting quietly in the corner, seemingly glad to be back home and out of the cold. She's been wandering around for 11 days! We've played and cuddled a bit, and I got her some tasty treats... It's really something else to have her back here after being prepared for the possibility that she'd be gone for good.
Well, I learned quite a few things from this ordeal. One thing is that which a few people have pointed out here - that society tells us to think of our 2D friends as things, and to think they don't deserve the same love as the rest of us do from each other. After dealing with the emotions of her potential loss and/or death, I learned that that is a lie that society had effectively embedded deep in my thinking process. I learned that I love her and I don't need to diminish that by saying she's "just a dog" or "just" anything. When I sat down and thought hard about this a few days ago, the tears flowed again and I realized I'd been holding them back - for some subconscious acquiescence to society's opinions about animals and their worth.
Another thing is definitely chagrin/regret/embarrassment over not having kept a better eye on her. Leoursa, anart, thanks for pointing that out. I've kicked myself hard a number of times over the last couple weeks for that. I've made her an ID and it's attached firmly to her harness.
I have let her out for quite a while, well, for most of her life, without a collar - and she has always come back. Obviously that was not going to last forever and this is a good lesson that I have my responsibilities as her caretaker to make sure she's properly identified and paid attention to when she's outside. We used to live on a farm, but now I live in town (a rural town but a town nonetheless), and she can't roam around now like she used to on the farm.
I've also learned some lessons about emotional containment and release. I hold a lot of my emotions under the surface, and instead of dealing with them, I intellectualize them and waste the energy when it should just stay where it is, in the emotional center. I don't know how to put that in better words, but for now I'm keeping a wary eye on how my emotions arise and what I do/don't do with them.
Thanks again for everyone's support, it certainly is a joy to have Bird back safe in the home. I'm gonna go take her for a walk (with a leash and ID!)
Leoursa said:
Well, I learned quite a few things from this ordeal. One thing is that which a few people have pointed out here - that society tells us to think of our 2D friends as things, and to think they don't deserve the same love as the rest of us do from each other. After dealing with the emotions of her potential loss and/or death, I learned that that is a lie that society had effectively embedded deep in my thinking process. I learned that I love her and I don't need to diminish that by saying she's "just a dog" or "just" anything. When I sat down and thought hard about this a few days ago, the tears flowed again and I realized I'd been holding them back - for some subconscious acquiescence to society's opinions about animals and their worth.
Another thing is definitely chagrin/regret/embarrassment over not having kept a better eye on her. Leoursa, anart, thanks for pointing that out. I've kicked myself hard a number of times over the last couple weeks for that. I've made her an ID and it's attached firmly to her harness.
I have let her out for quite a while, well, for most of her life, without a collar - and she has always come back. Obviously that was not going to last forever and this is a good lesson that I have my responsibilities as her caretaker to make sure she's properly identified and paid attention to when she's outside. We used to live on a farm, but now I live in town (a rural town but a town nonetheless), and she can't roam around now like she used to on the farm.
I've also learned some lessons about emotional containment and release. I hold a lot of my emotions under the surface, and instead of dealing with them, I intellectualize them and waste the energy when it should just stay where it is, in the emotional center. I don't know how to put that in better words, but for now I'm keeping a wary eye on how my emotions arise and what I do/don't do with them.
Thanks again for everyone's support, it certainly is a joy to have Bird back safe in the home. I'm gonna go take her for a walk (with a leash and ID!)
thevenusian
Dagobah Resident
Really glad this story has turned out the way it has. Definitely keep that girl's collar on from now on if she goes outside. If it is possible, you might also want to consider some form of fence to keep her protected at night. Welded wire agricultural type fences with steel t-posts are not very expensive compared to other types of fencing, and you might be able to create a safe zone for night-time without too much trouble since you live in the type of environs that you do. My personal solution to this problem was to put in a doggie door which leads to a fenced-in area so I don't have to worry at night.
I'm glad that you got your dog back...
I can not imagine how you felt...
I agree with you when you say that she is not "just a dog" and it is really sad how society relate to animals... I also have a dog and I wouldn't give him for anything in the world... It's a special bond..
It is a good idea to put your address, telephone number and name attached to her collar...
I can not imagine how you felt...
I agree with you when you say that she is not "just a dog" and it is really sad how society relate to animals... I also have a dog and I wouldn't give him for anything in the world... It's a special bond..
It is a good idea to put your address, telephone number and name attached to her collar...
Holy crap, I just came across this thread and.. I don't think I've ever cried from sadness, been shocked, cried from happiness, and then laughed all within the same minute before. Wow! I am really happy for you Jonny, please do keep her collar/tag on her, and definitely don't underestimate your relationship with your 2d companion, she's your family and there is no need to rationalize your love and concern for her, no need to "excuse" those emotions, which are perfectly healthy and natural!
:) :)