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Why dogs live less than human!

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The six-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Author Unknown

If a dog was your teacher, these are some of the lessons you might learn:

  • When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
  • Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
  • Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
  • When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
  • Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
  • Never pretend to be something you’re not.
  • If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
  • When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
{ 25 comments… add one }
  • Neelima August 6, 2014, 8:41 am

    I loved it. We have a lovingly dog puppy. She taught us many things like being adjustable, lovable, friendly with all, caring, discipline,… We all love her. She makes us happy in sad situations with her cute barking loving behavior. Puppy love you eternally.

  • Sharon Charlie February 7, 2014, 2:26 am

    A very touching story. A little boy has taught us something that maybe we did not realize till we read his story.

  • Ankush February 6, 2014, 6:01 am

    One of the best.

  • Pranitha September 16, 2013, 2:33 am

    Beautiful…a simple explanation for a profounding truth. A kid’s innocent heart noticed it.

  • Hazel August 8, 2013, 5:19 pm

    Very heart touching story! Superb!!!

  • Gwen July 28, 2013, 2:28 pm

    I know the author of this story!

    I knew the story seemed familiar, and I was right. I’d read it in one of my Chicken Soup books, entitled Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul. The author credited is named Robin Downing, D.V.M. (He’s a veterinarian) and the original title of the story is “Rites of Passage”.

    Hope that helps! 😀

  • Ranjith April 15, 2013, 12:01 pm

    I used to hate dogs particularly the ones found on the street. But after reading this story I understand that dogs can tech me a lot of things.

  • Esther March 18, 2013, 6:58 am

    It’s amazing how dog really are.

  • Vibhor March 17, 2013, 12:31 pm

    Just too good story 🙂

  • Pawan Kumar March 15, 2013, 8:33 am

    I dont know story made me sad from my inside….it made me realize the hard fact of life and death. I know if someone, whom you love the most, goes away from your eyes, what your life would be left with and it would be really hard to even feel to live a single moment without him.
    Aaah….it made me sad indeed. 🙁

  • Moses March 11, 2013, 3:29 pm

    “Dog as a teacher” is great.

  • Harry March 11, 2013, 7:55 am

    Wow! A good story like this can teach u more about life.

  • Mmalolo March 7, 2013, 7:35 pm

    Nice one there.

  • Eniah March 7, 2013, 6:01 am

    Interesting.

  • Jasvinder March 6, 2013, 5:57 pm

    Small and very touching. Every human should understand the real meaning of living life through this story. This will make a big difference in the world.

  • Noeme D. Catayas March 6, 2013, 7:30 am

    Nice story… children and animals really has deeper understanding of life than the learned most of the time.

  • Anoj Agarwala March 6, 2013, 12:33 am

    The last para is very touching.

  • Mosopefoluwa March 5, 2013, 5:13 pm

    Hmmm…wished everyone knew that! What a great love.

  • Neha March 5, 2013, 11:25 am

    Beautiful story. We can really learn so much from animals…and we really should.

  • Momo March 5, 2013, 11:08 am

    I’m really touched. Very inspirational and so true. Great story.

  • Vivz March 5, 2013, 4:04 am

    Thanks for this inspirational story, I’m able to share this to my spiritual group, and I was amazed, how they were inspired by this story and the sharing of everyone was really great..

    More stories please.. ^_^

  • Shenba Srinivasan March 5, 2013, 12:54 am

    Lovely story..! Humans have to learn loads from animals! A dog indeed is a man’s best friend!!

  • Renjith March 5, 2013, 12:15 am

    Excellent touching story… Thanks.

  • Mahendra Prasad March 4, 2013, 11:23 pm

    Nice Story. The lessons we humans have to learn are indeed excellent.

  • Lea March 4, 2013, 10:47 pm

    Got it!!! Thanks lad.

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