Captain, My Captain

This is one of my heart-dogs, Captain. I have owned many dogs in my life time and I loved each one. However, some dogs hold your heart. Captain was one of those dogs. I lost Captain 3 years ago. He took a part of my heart when he left.

Grief is a powerful emotion. Many people do not understand how some people can grieve over "a dog" as if it were human. Those of us who do, understand.

One thing I remember with feeling this grief in the beginning is "the absence of his presence". I continued to look for Captain only to remember that he is gone.

This dog traveled with me everywhere. In the photo above, we are in a hotel room somewhere in Tennessee. Captain was constantly with me. I did not love him more than my family, it is different love. This dog was my constant companion. We did not need to do something, we just had to be. Captain thought I was perfect, even though I am not. His needs were simple; food, water, a comfortable save place to sleep and being part of our family/pack.

Of course, there was the dog hair too, German Shepherds shed a lot. The early challenges with Captain involved learning social skills, learning not to chase the livestock or barn cats, overcoming fear, ignoring people who were frightened by him because of his breed, and trusting people.

If one of your dogs has traveled over the Rainbow Bridge (died), I understand your pain and grief. It never goes away, but the pain lightens up. If you are struggling with grief, please consider scheduling a session with me. And my request for you is, when you are ready, please adopt another dog. There are more dogs needing good homes than there are good homes and loving owners.