April 2016

Canis sapiens: What will man’s communication with his best friend be like in the future?

It is believed that dogs have accompanied man since around the time of the Pleistocene epoch, a period ending around 12,000 years ago. Our canine friends have watched the failures and triumphs during man and womankind’s darkest and most enlightened times; they have witnessed humans evolve from rudimentary to technologically advanced lifestyles, and learned to successfully adapt to each challenge and all the related changes.

photo courtesy David La Rosa

photo courtesy David La Rosa

Dogs have learned to modify their behavior since the first paw shake – even more so than cats – in order to coexist with the most advanced and fearsome creature on planet Earth: Homo sapiens.

Today, as social media saturates the web with videos showcasing dogs capable of mind-bending theatrics and all manner of astute exchanges with humans, a thought-provoking question emerges comes to the forefront: How far will dogs be able to advance biologically and mentally, particularly concerning their relationship to man? Dear reader, after contemplating these things for a while you may never see your pup the same way again!

Over the years, the phenomenon of limbic resonance (a.k.a. brain-to-brain correlation) has been the subject of extensive research and scientific study. Dr. Michio Kaku, a laureate theoretical physicist and futurist, presents the case for the possibility of this brain-to-brain communication being possible between humans and dogs. According to Dr. Kaku, in the future this type of communication would not be limited to mere exchange of information, but feelings and emotions as well, “because these are also part of the fabric of our thoughts.” Just how possible could it be for this phenomenon to also extend into our relationship with that tail-wagging, four-legged creature that enjoys stealing our socks from the dirty laundry basket? Dr. Kaku and other scientists believe this is not only possible, but that it is in fact beginning to occur today; scientific research has revealed valuable data to support this theory.

Read: Learning from Dogs: Brain-To-Brain Communication by Dr. Kaku

Along with all other biological life, dogs dance in perfect synchronicity with the universe: a natural skill man has tended to rebel against over the course of his existence.

photo courtesy David La Rosa

photo courtesy David La Rosa

Of course, it is known by dog lovers the world over that a canine can tell with Swiss-watch precision when it’s time for a visit to the vet, or when the pack is on its way to the off-leash dog park. Dogs also seem to have an uncanny ability to immediately classify any furless life forms approaching their domain with any sort of catch (read, food packaging) while wearing shorts as persona non-grata. I am personally convinced that volumes of information are being encoded by our dogs in messages attached to any manner of horizontal ornament installed on the side of the street, and acknowledged as they go about their daily walks. That would explain their rebellious lingering when approaching the withered solitary tree, the nondescript light pole, or the abandoned water hydrant… all part of tactical maneuvering to gather intelligence and keep current the neighborhood’s latest developments. I encourage you to pay attention to these key spots next time your dog urges you to take him or her for a stroll.

Gregory Burns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University and the author of How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain, participated in a study involving the administration of MRI scans to several trained dogs. After exposing the dogs to various samples of emotion from both humans and animals, his conclusion was tantamount to “dogs are people, too.” These findings should cause more people to reevaluate their relationship with and treatment of dogs, as these animals have been proving over the years that they are quite capable of experiencing consciousness and emotions very similar to those of humans.

Read: Brain scans show that dogs are as conscious as human children – i09

The MRI analysis showed the temporal lobe, formerly believed to be stimulated only in humans, to be switched on in all eleven dogs when exposed to 200 different sounds emitted by the scanner. NOTE: The dogs remained calm and collaborative during the entirety of the rigorous study!

The overall conclusion of the study included the statement Although parallel evolution cannot be excluded, our findings suggest that voice areas may have a more ancient evolutionary origin than previously known. So it’s possible that dogs and humans, over the course of the past 18,000 to 32,000 years, have been evolving together, helping to explain why dogs (in particular) are capable of processing the emotions embedded within human vocalizations. Is it an evolutionary skill, or is it something much more profound? Furthermore, is it possible that dogs have learned through thousands of years of sitting, staying, and rolling over for humans, how to interpret the signals emitted by the human brain (also seemingly imperceptible to humans) with singular accuracy? The answer as it is now being found through scientific research seems to indicate that we may be underestimating our four-legged friends when expecting them to eat a $2.99 on-sale bag of kibble with the same enthusiasm they would a beef pâté recipe.

Read: Why the Brains of Dogs and Humans Are More Similar Than You Think – i09

Nevertheless, none of these elucidating findings will truly matter unless we become more aware of the how our faithful companions are being so easily disposed of by haumans. It is estimated that 1.2 million dogs are being euthanized every year in the United States alone, according to the ASPCA, with just about 1.4 million dogs being adopted. The numbers are rather close, but this is not taking into consideration the estimated 1,880 cases of animal abuse reported in a 2007 analysis by the Humane Society. Of that number, close to 65% of the cases involved cruelty towards dogs. Man has gone to great lengths in the quest for self realization, and it appears much is still to be gained regarding respect towards coexisting with other life forms. One example of the easy dismissal these creatures have been and are still subject to by Homo sapiens society: Laika, a terrier mix, was the first non-human cosmonaut aboard the Sputnik II launched from the former Soviet Union on March 11, 1957.

Dogs have proven to be capable of adapting to the most austere environments as they have followed man to just about every recondite corner of the Earth. In the process, they have learned to trust man’s guidance through observation. May we always do our best not to teach them to distrust us. There is potential for so much more in this multi-millenary association.

In 1972, Benjamin Solari Parravicini, an Argentine priest known for his accurate predictions and prophecies of world events through psychographic writings, predicted that man will become a telepath in the future. Perhaps then we may truly understand and deeply know the furry quadruped sitting at our feet. While pondering why I keep getting frustrated when my dear pooch won’t sit on command, I can only wonder if he may just be trying to engage in a more profound conversation!

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Roc adopted thanks to PupFest: An Irish Faire

It was the first PupFest: An Irish Faire held March 19, 2016 at Nashville Pet Products in Hermitage, TN, featuring five shelters, Irish music, and the Apollo Food Truck. We had a wonderful morning hike with our shelter pups.

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Famished after our hike, even we humans had to eat! Business was bustling at the Apollo Food Truck, but Cassie (a food truck worker), couldn’t take her eyes off of Roc. Roc had arrived from Cheatham County Animal Control (CCAC). The shelter was temporarily closing due to much needed renovations.

Finding a home for Roc and the other dogs at this shelter was a top priority. Would the luck of the Irish be in Roc’s favor?

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I spent the better part of the afternoon walking Roc alongside the Apollo Food Truck; Cassie couldn’t leave her work post, and having Roc nearby definitely made Cassie’s day. She totally delighted in watching Roc… so much so that she decided to adopt the precious pup! I became the de facto liaison between Cassie and TJ Jordi (the Director of Cheatham County Animal Control), shuffling the paperwork back and forth until Cassie got the final approval to adopt dear Roc. All that was left was the adoption fee payment; as adopting a dog that day was not on Cassie’s to-do list, she didn’t have the extra cash on hand. Needless to say, I was determined to do whatever it might take to make Roc’s adoption happen.

There’s nothing more our volunteers cherish more than seeing a dog find a permanent, loving home. It’s a priceless reward that touches all our hearts.

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Without hesitation, I paid the adoption fee, later telling Cassie it was an early Christmas present! Big smiles followed.

That day Roc, now known as Rocky, sniffed and licked his way to the pot of gold at the end of his rainbow… and so did I!

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Thanks to all the hard work and effort from our volunteers, five dogs were adopted that day! There must have been four-leaf clovers aplenty in the field that day. A bit of luck and a lot of love is exactly what it takes to find homes for these precious pups!

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One year later, adopted dog Reese has changed the lives of Nashville couple

On November 22, 2014, Sheryl Handley volunteered to walk shelter dogs at our first Tails of the Trail outreach event and later returned to Cheatham County Animal Control (CCAC) to adopt Reese, the dog she and her husband fell in love with. 

One year later, Sheryl shares how Reese has changed their lives.

I love this time of year: Spring, the season of renewal and rebirth! The woods come alive with blossoming trees, and delicate wildflowers blanket the forest floor. It is a welcome change after the chill and bleakness of winter.

Now we have even more reason to celebrate because it is the first anniversary of the adoption of our dog, Reese.

Upon reflection of a previous post, Rescue, reward, and Reese: A shelter dog adoption story, I have to say that any apprehension we may have had about taking a shelter dog into our lives turned out to be totally unfounded. We can’t even imagine life now without him! I know that my husband, Paul, shares the same sentiments. He admits to missing Reese while away on business trips, and always greets Reese at the door with a jerky treat. Too cute!

Reese is our first canine furbaby, and as any new parent can attest, every new occasion or activity is a big deal. We are still learning, honing our dog ownership skills along the way. We’ve made that desperate emergency trip to the vet all parents fear, only to be reassured that everything would be fine. I’ve since taken a canine first aid class provided by Tails of the Trail.

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On our first road trip, Reese barked at every single noise he heard in the hotel – all night long! Although this made for anything but a rejuvenating weekend getaway, it was a learning experience. Of course, Reese was merely being a dog and alerting us, his pack, to what he saw as potential danger. As it turns out, our camping trips allow a better night’s sleep for all three of us, as we make sure to set up the tent in a secluded spot away from the noise and lights of other campers passing by in the middle of the night. As with anything in life, practice makes perfect and each experience builds upon the last. It’s amazing to see what a difference a year has made in Reese’s social skills!

My husband and I have established a routine which ensures Reese is included in as many activities with us as possible, from frequent errand runs (what dog doesn’t love to ride in the car?) to our occasional getaways. We really appreciate dog-friendly businesses, stores, restaurants, and other places. These are all wonderful opportunities to practice manners and obedience. When we are out on the town, it is so rewarding to hear compliments from workers and other customers about Reese’s excellent behavior!

You should see how surprised they are to learn that he was once a stray taken in by animal control. Of course, many already know that rescued dogs usually turn out to be superb pets and grateful companions.

It warms my heart to hear people share their dog adoption stories. A fellow hiker told me that she was inspired to adopt a senior dog because that age group is the least likely to find placement outside of a shelter or rescue group. Please don’t assume that you must get a puppy or a young dog, or that you should avoid adopting dogs that have been at a shelter for a relatively long time. Reese had been housed by CCAC for nine months prior to adoption. He had been designated as a heartworm-positive, 3.5 year-old pit bull mix – all of which are often considered to drastically lower the chances of adoption.

In our case, the timing was just right – and thankfully, we had the resources to nurse Reese back to health. We are proud to tell a story which clearly demonstrates that an adult shelter dog can be a wonderful pet.

There was no potty training involved, no chewed up personal belongings – and the truth is, you can teach an old dog new tricks! We’ve got his intermediate education certification and graduation photo proudly hanging above his food bowl.

Yes, we are such proud parents of our furbaby!

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The Healing of Ellie May

Sometimes you find a dog. Sometimes a dog finds you. Join Erin on this ten year journey after she discovered the dog who would come to be known as “Ellie May” by happenstance on the side of the road in rural Tennessee.

One October Sunday, while driving out in the Tennessee country looking at the pretty fall leaves, I started to slow my car down in case the cat that was sitting on the side of the road ahead of me decided to run in front of it. But as I got closer, I saw that it was not a cat, but instead a skin-and-bones little puppy with pointy ears and a long tail.

I stopped my car on the side of the road to get a better look. She had no collar. Obviously not eaten in quite some time. She had hardly any fur, scabs all over her body and face, fleas and bugs crawling on her, and some shiny wound on her side that looked odd.

I got out of the car, walked up to her slowly and said, “Hi puppy, what are you doing here?” She looked up at me and slowly wagged her tail. I walked back to my car and opened the trunk to get a towel.

I turned around, patted my leg and said, “Come here little dog” and motioned for her to follow me. She trotted across the road and I wrapped her in the towel and picked her up. I put part of the towel underneath her and sat her in the front passenger seat. She whined for a second, started turning around in a circle (like dogs do when they’re making a bed) and laid down. Within only a minute or two she was asleep.

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She spent the night in my bathtub while I waited for Sunday to turn into Monday and I could take her to a shelter. My current lease said no dogs allowed and I wasn’t financially prepared to take care of her.

The shelter didn’t usually intake new dogs on Monday, but I said she was sick and possibly injured so they said over the phone they’d make an exception. When I got to the shelter they looked her over. Pretty quickly said they couldn’t take her because she was so sick. Monetarily they weren’t able to provide that amount of care and her mange could be contagious to the other dogs.

They said if I left her, there was only one other option. That option made me immediately tear up.

“But,” I said, “she still seems pretty happy considering she’s so sick.”

“She is pretty alert,” they admitted.

So I made the decision to take her to the vet and figure out the money and “no dogs in the house” lease situation later. Ugh.

When we got in to see the doctor, he determined she was about three or four months old, weighed eight pounds, had a pretty bad case of stress-related mange, an eye infection, fleas, and worms.

And that shiny wound on her side? Buckshot. In fact, she had quite a few pellets still imbedded in her.

He said he wanted to be honest and say that while she’s very sick there’s a chance she could pull through. But that I could also do all the right things and she still not make it. So once again I had a choice. And once again, I started to tear up.

“I want to try. I can’t not try.”

So he gave her a deworming shot, told me about the medicine for the mange I would have to give her, the shampoo she would need to use, and the drops for her eye infections. We optimistically scheduled a surgery for down the road for her to get spayed along with a few in between check ups.

Now…what to do about the lease situation…

“So…I found a puppy…” I told my landlord. Turns out he had three rescue dogs of his own and had no problem with me keeping her as long as I took care of the place.

So I took her home to give her her first mange-be-gone bath. Because she was so skinny and shivering so badly afterward, I wrapped her in a towel and held her like you’d hold a tiny baby. It didn’t take long before she fell asleep on my chest.

It was around that time I started to think of names for her. I wanted to call her something different or give her a full proper name like they do in dog shows. The number eleven popped into my mind and I thought, “Well, Eleven could be part of her name but she would need a nickname.” At that moment The Beverly Hillbillies came on TV and since I’d found her out in the country, the “little puppy that could” became Ellie Mae.

The next day I had to return to work so my friend let me borrow her cat crate for Ellie to stay in while I was gone. I was trying to contain the fleas to one area (if she had any) so the crate stayed in the kitchen.

For the first few days, without fail, I would let Ellie out of the crate and a buckshot pellet or two would be left inside. I’m still not sure if she was pulling them out herself or they were working their way to the surface.

It took a solid two months for her to get the “mostly clear” from the vet, even though she still had hardly any hair. There was a chance the mange could come back if she got really stressed.

But boy was this tired little dog starting to get some energy. It seemed like she was making up for lost time. So after another month or two of her healing I started to take her to what I told her was “puppy class.”

Turns out that not only was this dog a fighter, but I discovered she was pretty smart too. (I mean I’m her mom so of course I’m going to say that, but I promise I’m not lying…)

She picked up things really quickly and the trainer called her “the Ambassador” because she could get any dog to play with her. Even the one dog who didn’t like any dogs, and had been deemed dog aggressive was comfortable around Ellie.

At home she figured out how to open my bathroom door by pulling on my robe that hung on the back of it, how to lift the toilet seat, get out of a wire crate without opening the door, and conversely unlock the door to get into the crawl space. (The latter is not my favorite trick. I’ve had to crawl in after her a few times.)

I learned that she’s great with kids, loves dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cows, bus rides, car rides, walks, hikes, and loves running on the treadmill way more than I do. Sometimes I think about how much she (and I) would have missed out on had she not gotten the chance to get better. But then after I think that I do my best to just enjoy where she’s at now.

You’d never be able to tell by looking at her, but as of this writing she’s almost ten years old and has been such a great joy in my life.

In my work, being there with people through transitions, I believe change and healing is possible. And I think it’s the same for dogs. They just need a chance and people to support them. I plan to continue giving more dogs a chance and I hope Ellie may have inspired you to do so as well. I mean, just look at that face…

Erin Pauling, a transplant from Chicago, is a life coach based in Nashville and is Secretary on the Tails of the Trail board of directors. She loves asking questions, trying new things, singing like a cartoon chipmunk, and whispering to dogs.

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