I love all of my clients and their dogs. I am so blessed that I can meet and help so many humans and their precious dogs. The joy it brings me cannot be measured. Not long ago, I had the great honor and privilege to meet two sisters that had rescued two beautiful Catahoulas, Ranger and Bruiser. There are really no words to describe how much I enjoyed training these wonderful boys. I have thought about writing this blog about one of the two boys for a long time. I recently asked for permission. The reason I wanted to write about Ranger is that he touched me down to my soul, and I believe he can be an inspiration to so many – directly and indirectly. I am not speaking from a trainer’s standpoint. I’m speaking as a human. This is why …..
Ranger was rescued from a very very bad situation. Not long after the two sisters rescued Ranger, they found out he had cancer and immediately took him to a specialist for treatment. When I sat down with them the first time, Ranger was far along with his chemo treatments. During our initial consultation, they told me his story and explained the reason they contacted me. First, let me say that when I met Ranger, knowing his background, I was stunned. One of the first things I noticed was that he was one of the happiest dogs I have ever met – even given his intense cancer treatments and difficult prior life. I am a true believer that some dogs that are rescued from very bad situations express tremendous gratitude to their new pet parents. Ranger received nothing but love and compassion from his new pet parents. Obviously, Ranger was lucky on a different level. Ranger did not seem to suffer from serious negative associations from his previous life that were impossible to overcome and/or manage. With that said, Ranger settled into his new home very quickly.
The second thing I noticed was Ranger loved life and was willing to fight for life. Even with his treatments, he was full of energy. He embraced every minute we were together. I can tell you, as a trainer, Ranger warmed my heart every single week. He and Bruiser were both excited to see me. Ranger let me know he was especially excited to see me (could have been the treats 😊). Every single week, I found myself counting the days until I was able to see him (and his brother) again. Ranger loved training. He absolutely loved it. He loved learning new things. I did my very best to keep up with him! 😊 It is hard to adequately describe how it touched me that Ranger was so full of life and excitement. I think that is the reason I felt a real connection to Ranger. I have bad days. I see many humans and dogs that feel hopeless and helpless. That is one thing that I founded my company on – hope. I try my best to give my clients hope and paths forward if humanly possible. Just like humans, dogs face horrific circumstances. Dogs cannot talk when they are ill, so many times their illness shows up in behavior. In many of those cases, their behavior is their communication. Ranger was definitely communicating – but he was communicating how wonderful life can be no matter what. That is Ranger’s miracle.
Ranger is a beacon of light. Sometimes life is difficult. Then, out of nowhere, someone or some little creature can drop in a person’s life that teaches wonderful life lessons – love life, fight for life, embrace life, and most of all, shine light on those around you whenever you can. I think of Ranger a lot. Sometimes, he will just pop in my head when I need a bit of light to share with others or to share with myself. He definitely pops into my head when I see humans and dogs that need hope, compassion, and love. He has been a true inspiration. I will always remember the life lessons he taught me, and hopefully I can pass his light on to others.
I’m going to visit my friend Ranger very soon – not as a trainer but as a friend. While we were training, Ranger finished his treatments. He went some time cancer free. Unfortunately, not long ago, his pet mom let me know that cancer has shown up again. I hear that Ranger is doing well. He is about to conquer cancer for the second time, and I’m certain his light is still shining brightly!
