What 27 Years of Dog Watching Have Taught Me

I had my first dog when I was 12. Ever since then, I have always had at least five. There was that one year when I had 15 dogs in my home…uff!

Currently, I have managed to stay at 11 — a comfortable number.

How? Well, I work at a huge school. The buzz of activity (and the food students tend to drop) attracts stray dogs. Whenever possible, I take some of them home.

Also, although I reside in a big Mexican border town, the area where I live has remained enclosed. It’s sort of a semi-rural spot, with prairie dogs, roadrunners, wild rabbits, and even a couple of falcons. People love to abandon their dogs in places like this, where no one can see them…or so they think.

So, yeah, I have had many dogs. And I have been paying attention to the things they do, their quirks and peculiarities. Here’s what I have learned about them.

Dogs have best friends

That’s right: there are packs within the pack. Some dogs just prefer the company of certain fellow pooches.

They like to chase each other non-stop, playfully biting their tails and ears. They even feign dropping to the ground, only to “attack” the second their pal approaches.

That’s not all. Once they get tired, they lie side to side, looking around and, I swear, enjoying each other company. Throughout the years, I have seen this many times.

The sad part? When one of them dies, the other keeps looking for his buddy. He goes back to their preferred resting places, sniffing around.

They get melancholic and even refuse to eat for a few days.

Some dogs behave like cats

Everybody has this picture of dogs jumping all around the second they see you. And it’s true, for the most part. Dogs just love to show their affection.

However, I have met a couple of dogs who didn’t care at all. Whenever I got home, they would barely look at me. From time to time, they would approach me so I could pet them for a little while, and then they would leave. If I overdid it, I risked getting a reproachful look.

Sadly, I couldn’t get their DNA tested to check for a great-great-grandparent who might be a cat, but who knows?

I wonder…are there any cats that behave like dogs? Cat owners, could you shed some light here?

Even domesticated dogs can become avid hunters

My dogs like to hunt. Yeap. As I mentioned lines above, there’s plenty of wildlife where I live. Sometimes, a wild rabbit will dare enter the perimeter around my home, and…the wolves awaken.

That’s right. My dogs will team up, chase, and, many times, succeed at catching their prey.

On occasion, we are able to intervene and help the rabbit escape but, other times, the dogs beat us to it.

I take no pleasure in watching my dogs engage in this behavior, but I have to admit I find it fascinating that they have retained these wild instincts.

The meaner the beast, the sweeter the pet

There are always a couple of big and strong dogs in my pack. Not only that, but they also tend to be overprotective.

Whenever someone dares approach our fence, all hell breaks loose. These dogs get on their hind legs, bark at those strangers, and show their teeth while spraying saliva everywhere.

Then, once the deed is done, the furious beasts turn around, wag their tail and approach me.

I can almost hear the question, “Did I do well, Mom? Is everybody safe?”

These “mean” dogs tend to be the cutest sweet pies you’ll ever meet. They’ll jump on you, lick your face, and want you to rub their belly 24/7. They might even think they are lap dogs and try to sit on you.

*sighs*

Mutts are unique

Most people prefer purebred dogs. I get it. There are some beautiful breeds out there, and then there is, of course, the appeal of knowing what kind of dog you are going to get. I have had several purebred dogs, some of them were gifts, others were abandoned in front of my home once their owner got bored of them.

However, there is just something about mutts that speaks to me, especially if they are stray dogs.

First of all, they are unique. You’ll never get another dog like this one. Also, they have a particular kind of strength. Just imagine all the crap they had to survive before you met them. They are resilient, resourceful, and super smart.

I have no problem with purebred dogs, but I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for mutts.

They will break your heart

Dogs die, and it’s not fair.

We get to spend just a few years with them. They make us love them, and then they go away.

Most of my dogs have died of old age, a couple escaped and ended up being run over, others got severely sick, and we had to make the difficult choice of sending them away on their sleep.

It never gets easy. And it’s never the same.

That thing they say about getting a new dog to replace the old one?

There is no such thing.

I go through my memories of every dog I’ve ever had, and I can’t keep myself from smiling. Some of them were bananas; others were awfully serious. All of them were lovable, perfect in their peculiar way.

All of them loved us.

We, humans, tend to overcomplicate life. We keep looking for “meaning,” and we end up never finding it.

It’s clear that dogs have this life thing completely figured out: be in the moment; love unconditionally, and show it, even if you end up looking like a fool; and when things get tough, rest for a little while under the sun until you feel better.

I will never be as wise as the dogs that have shared their life journey with me. I can only hope I will keep learning from their teachings.