Do Dogs Go to Heaven?

Do Dogs Go to Heaven?

This is a question that touches on religion and our concepts of heaven, the after-life. As young people you rightly discuss and think through your religious beliefs and spirituality with your parents. In relationship with your parents and in relationship with your God, you think through all hard issues like death, redemption, and heaven. I encourage you to gently and openly discuss these issues with your parents over your lifetime, not just now when you are young but in an on-going conversation as you grow and gain wisdom and discernment.

Sometimes when we are young our parents give us simple and true answers. As we get older our questions become clearer in our minds and we ask for more complicated answers. Again, I encourage you to gently and openly continue discussions with your parents about issues that concern you, now and throughout your life.

But you ask me directly “Do dogs go to heaven?” and I will not turn away from answering you just because it is a hard question.

Yes, I think so. I do not know so but I believe so.

I think that we will see our pets again in heaven because of the character of our God. There is something about God that is easy to say but difficult to fully understand. God is love. He is exorbitantly, excessively, extravagantly in love with us, His children. It would be fully in keeping with His generous character to dazzle us with the joy of seeing our pets again in heaven. Heaven is a place that will refract and reflect the great goodness of our Great God. Heaven really is beyond our limited comprehension. And since He delights in lavishing love on us, I think He will include our pets in this expression of His Love.

God made humans in the image and likeness of Himself. And God is the maker and creator of His animals. God gives us these wonderful animals and expects us to take good care of them as He takes good care of us. God is the giver of all good gifts, not the taker of them. I don’t think He will take our pets from us.

Of course, it is all up to God. We are absolutely incapable of fully understanding His amazing grace. So in the meantime, let us trust in His love and take good care of the gifts He gives us. Do not be anxious. God will provide.

Feet, Feet, Feet. Wonderful, Wonderful Feet.

Feet, Feet, Feet, Feet! Wonderful Wonderful Feet!

Why do dogs nip at your feet?

All dog breeds nip at your feet and heels for just about the same reason. “Get going!” they say. “This way, not that way. You, you, I’m talking to you. Go!”

Nipping at feet and heels is a natural canine communication that can be disruptive to the harmony of the household. If canine teeth make hard contact with soft human skin the behavior needs to be stopped.

House rules: no doggie teeth on human skin.

Now, most of us allow our dogs to touch us with their faces and mouths. Teeth are in those mouths but we expect soft lips, sloppy tongues, and wet noses. Dogs understand the difference between affection and injury and that is why we can build a conversation with them that clearly identifies what is unacceptable. Don’t bite me.

All domestic dogs have a natural instinct to chase and hunt. They circle, bark and bite. They have a natural instinct for defense. Humans have bred dogs with specialized and controllable pursuit and defense temperaments. We have bred them to live with us and to help us. We love them for this. We love them with all our hearts. And what is the one thing that we must have in an animal that sleeps in our beds and follows us around? That they do not hurt us.

So let’s first understand how breeding and temperament influence natural nipping behavior. It is a combination of high prey drive and high play temperament. It's a conversation that they initiate. It means "GO" and if you were to hear them speak in human language, it would be said in a slightly bossy voice.

All dogs can bite. Some dog breeds are more prone to biting than others. Fear biting is a serious and unacceptable dog behavior. Attack biting is the most serious and the most unacceptable of all.

But we are not talking about that kind of biting which is based on danger signals gone awry. We’re wondering about nipping out of exuberance and impatience, dominance and submission.

There are three breed groups that nip a lot. Herding and shepherding breeds (especially heelers), terriers and harriers, and many toy breeds. Why? Prey drive instinct coupled with play behavior.

Herding breeds have been bred to move livestock. All shepherds love to herd things. Anything will do. Sheep, ducks, cattle, leaves, young children, a bunch of puppies, toys, kibble on the floor, dust bunnies, anything that can move. “Go there,” they say and – now this is important – they are very satisfied when they herd things from one spot to another. The shepherds that nip a lot are the ‘heelers’ like the Australian Blue Heeler and the Welsh Corgi (as opposed to the ‘headers’ like Border Collies). A good ‘heeler’ will get behind and force movement forward. Natural herding instinct is prized in a breeding program and it is managed and reinforced with training. What is most prized? A soft mouth. Do not hurt the livestock.

If you have a shepherd, expect to be herded, because shepherds love the feeling. Work is play to them. It comes from a controlled prey drive instinct wedded to a soft mouth. A nip is after all a soft bite.

Shepherds are insensitive to touch and very sensitive to voice. This is a hallmark of all field and working dogs. Their prey drive must be controlled by the hunter from a distance so with training voice commands can start or stop them immediately. But they are often working in tough physical conditions and must not be detoured by scrapes and bruises.

Terriers and harriers have a specialized hunting instinct that is closer to the wolf than any other breed. You might think that the domestic dog which looks most like a wolf, the Siberian Husky, is most wolf-like. The Husky indeed has strong pack instincts but the hunting instinct has been bred out. They are not good hunters. They have low prey drive.

Terriers and harriers have been selected and bred to intensify prey drive. Harriers will run down and isolate their prey and then nip and bark until the farmer comes. Harriers hold the prey for the owner to manage. Why? Because harriers were usually sent after animals with valuable fur and the farmer wanted to sell the pelt, not pieces of fur. Also, the animal flesh could be used to feed the family usually in a stew or soup. Harriers are like herding dogs on steroids. Shepherds with hard mouths. That’s a delicate balance to achieve and therefore you don’t see many harriers in pet situations. You have probably not ever met a harrier.

Terriers on the other hand were sent after vermin, those rodents and animals which were a threat to the family, either because they spread diseases or because they attacked the family’s food source. Terriers run their prey to ground, follow the vermin into the hole and kill it. Terriers are very much like cats in this. If it is small, quick, furry and ugly, they kill it. No regrets. And I am sorry to tell you but terriers like to do this, just like cats. They are watchful and intelligent. They get excited. They get impatient.

Terriers often get hurt in the fight down that dark hole against a rodent fighting for its life. When they are escalated, terriers toughen up, don’t feel pain, and don’t hear voice commands.

Terriers also have a high play temperament. It is a hallmark of the breed. I always get concerned if a terrier doesn’t play and I look for environmental clues to tease out the answer. Their play is ‘mouthy’ because of the high prey drive. They enjoy chasing and running and killing toys. They are happy. They are communicative. They are engaged. Their mouths get the better of them. When they play, they are sensitive to touch and voice.

Many toy breeds nip a lot. Toy breeds are miniaturized on purpose. Two strains of canine genetics that lend to small individuals are the terriers and the spaniels. To get a small dog, breeders used one of these two (or both, oddly enough) to get little dogs. Terriers are terriers no matter the size. Toys with a lot of terrier behind them have the mental brightness of a high prey drive and very high play temperaments and that is so engaging. Spaniels are spaniels, soft and compliant. Viola. (Toy breeds are also fear biters but that’s another story.)

Now after we have talked about instincts and temperament, let us consider size. Dogs are smaller than we are. Dogs experience us through our feet. Our feet smell like us. Dogs like that. Feet can step on them. Dogs don’t like that. Feet go places. Dogs like that. Another appendage that gets nipped a lot is a hand. Dogs experience us through our hands. Hands feed, stroke, control and discipline.

And don’t forget eyesight. Dogs have very poor close up acuity. If they nip our hand or heel it is often because they do not know where their teeth end and our flesh begins. It’s an accident. They need to learn a soft mouth and good boundaries but sometimes their mouths get the better of them.

Bosco & Trudy Come for Octoberfest

Heidi, Dan and Grace have taken a week vacation in HAWAII.

They flew away from Denver's gorgeous autumn to bask in the sun and sands of our 50th state. We are sooo envious.
Bosco and Trudy came to the High Street Pet Hotel and Spa for their week vacation. We have our six-pack back -- five brunettes and one redhead.

But we are not so envious after all. It is perfect autumn weather in Denver and the dogs have been spending time outside (and inside and outside and inside) basking in the pleasure and contentment of a stable pack of doggie friends.













Trudy was a bit depressed for the first day. She loves her new family and in true Tru-Tru fashion she missed them with abandoned passion. But she has her Bosco and he looks after her. He persistently invited her to play and sought her out to sit next to her in the evening when all the dogs are in the living room with Brad and me. He worked her out of her blue mood.

I have noticed something about Bosco. He doesn't have good signaling skills. He is a sweet, sweet boy with lovely doggie manners. I see him cooperating well with the Scotties and he plays as if there is no tomorrow. But he has food issues and he loves soft, fluffy spots for his naps.

His preferred negative signal is the stiff legged stance with a long hard stare. He is so short legged that one can miss the former signal but the stare gets him in trouble.

So here is my solution: I have increased his kibble so he is never ever hungry and I supervise all interactions in the presence of food. That works well. I also brought the communal cushy dog bed out in the open so I can see when Bosco starts staring and hardens his stance. I gently correct him with my voice. He is learning to give short stares and couples that with a bit of pacing.

I also encourage him to sit next to me on the couch. Not quite so comfy as the dog bed but a nice snuggle helps little wounds.

The younger Scottie girls give in to Bosco regarding the dog bed. Alpha Male Dickens does not like the dog bed but he is Top Dog after all so he claims it for a minute or two and then gives in if Bosco has behaved well and asks nicely. (Dickens is a very fair leader.)

Nobody messes with Alpha Female Mrs. Boots. No. Body. I don't know how she does it but Toot Boot communicates clearly. I have seen her flutter her right lip just enough to show a fang. She never makes eye contact and she does not growl. Effective. Also, the rest of the pack reinforces Tutti’s status by acting nervous if Bosco stares at her. Little Miss Phoebe is the conciliator of the bunch and she will distract Bosco.

Now what red-blooded handsome young male can resist the charms of Miss Phoebe?

Not Bosco.

My rescue female Roxy had an impoverished puppy-hood so she has trouble discerning signals. Roxy is my Ditzy Blonde. She is not blonde but she is ditzy. She doesn’t always notice the hard stare and when she does she interprets it as a play signal. That drives Bosco CRAZY. He snorts in disgust. How stupid can you get?

I love watching the dogs. They are a constant delight.

I am in my office at the computer this evening. I have five dogs all around me. I hear Mrs. Boots in the living room bullying Brad for a little “base of the tail” scratch.

Nobody denies the Toot Boot.

Course Outline for the Girl Scout Troop: Domestic Cats and Dogs in Our Lives

Course Outline for the Girl Scout Troop

This is what we are going to learn.

Subject: Domestic Cats and Dogs in Our Lives

Curriculum Vitae

Domestic cats and dogs.
• Who they are. Not who YOU are but who THEY are.

Our household with cats and dogs.
• Who YOU and your family are in relationship to domestic cats and dogs. Who YOU are with them and to them.

The natural behaviors of domestic cats and dogs.
• Normal and harmonious behaviors of domestic cats and dogs revealed. “That’s cute or interesting. But why does he do that?”
• Normal but unpleasant or jarring behaviors of domestic cats and dogs. “Make him stop doing that!”

Communication with domestic cats and dogs.
• How they communicate to us and how we communicate to them.
• How to talk to your cat or dog.
• How to have a conversation with your cat and dog.

Overview: There are only two reasons that you cannot have a harmonious and uplifting relationship in your household with a cat or a dog.
• One, because you have not learned how to communicate with your domestic guest and how to accept communication from them.
• Two, because the individual cat or dog has a temperament disparity with the household or a psychological dysfunction due to a medical, biochemical, or genetic source.

This presentation will not address the second of the two possibilities. But we will explore the natural household which is at its best inspirational, deeply meaningful, and harmonious. Domestic cats and dogs in our lives. We can live without them but why?

To prepare for this presentation:
Please turn in questions you have about domestic cat and dog behavior.

Understand the following vocabulary. Look it up in the dictionary.
(Heidi & Patricia: Please help me with a short list of words that the girls should study up on prior to the presentation. Thanks, laura.)
Dominance
Tone (of voice)
Inflection (when speaking)
Visualization (thinking in pictures)
Submission
Obedience
Hierarchy
There are a few questions that I will cover if there is interest:
What do dogs want? (The company of other dogs and we are really good dog substitutes.)
What do cats want? (They want their own way and we are really good servants. I know that sounds funny but it is true. Thank Goodness that, in general, the wishes and demands of cats are fairly easy to fulfill and, in general, pleasant for us too.)
Why does my dog squirm when I pick him up? (You are hurting him and/or he doesn’t like to be off the floor.) (Also, addressing the hugging issue. Holding a dog’s shoulders and ribcage tightly is an inappropriate show of dominance.)
Why doesn’t my dog listen to me? (He doesn’t understand you and/or he understands you but doesn’t feel he needs to comply with your direction.)
Why does my dog like some dogs and dislike other dogs? (Dogs have preferences.)
Why does my dog lunge and bark when I take him for a walk? (Leash aggression.)
Why does my dog pull my arm off when I take him for a walk? (You have taught him to do that.)
Why does my dog bite my fingers when I give him a treat? (He has very poor close-up eyesight.)
Why does my dog howl? (He is communicating. He is saying, “I’m here. Where are you?” Plus, it feels really good to howl. It is a bonding experience with the family.)

How do I get my cat to love me? (Rub your cheek against the cat’s cheek, from lips to ear.)
Why does my cat bite me? (I need to know the circumstances. We have love bites, we have dominance related biting. We have shows of displeasure. We have prey behavior triggered by something you are doing.)

Conversations with Animals: Basic Concepts

When communicating with animals, please study the following six basic concepts.

Tone of voice. The sound that your voice makes. Not the words but the sound. Your mother has “that tone” that lets you know you are in trouble. Disapproval. Warning. Or she uses that tone of voice that calls you to her. Calling. “Anita?” [in a singing voice]. Your cat and dog hear the tone too. When talking to a cat or dog use the same tone that you understand. Example 1: talking to a cat in a sweet tone of voice: “Hi, how are you today? Hey, you sweet thing you? Are you listening to me? How are you today? [cat meows] Oh is that so? Well, me too.” Example 2: communicating disapproval and an expectation of action: “OFF the counter. Off. The. Counter. Now.”

Decibels, volume, loudness. Your classroom teacher often says to you “Use your inside voice.” An “outside” voice is loud. Your cat and dog hear a yell or a very loud noise as a bark or a yowl and that usually means ‘danger’ or ‘pay attention’. In general, keep your volume at a conversational level. Do not yell.

Inflection. The sound of your voice goes up or down, like in music. A question the world over ends in an upward inflection. Down means many things. “How are you?” [inflection up] (waiting for an answer.) “ How are yoooou.” [inflection down] (Oh, I like you very much.) “Stop that?” [inflection up] (You are giving a choice to the cat to stop or not.) “Stop that!” [inflection down] (command, demand, instruction, warning. )

Visualization. See an action clearly in your mind without spoken words. Think the picture in your mind. Example: “Get off the counter.” See the cat getting off the counter.

Timing, Rhythm. Use time to underscore meaning. As in music, timing is the sound and the silence. Being ‘off-beat’ when playing a musical instrument breaks the rhythm of sounds and silence. Timing in communication means the cadence of your speech and it is also the use of silence. Example: “Get off the counter.” Be silent. “Get. Off. The. Counter.”

Movement. Your body moves when you think, feel, and speak. When you are authentic, your body movements match and underscore your thoughts, feelings and speech. If you haven’t noticed this before, you are not noticing either yourself or others around you. Body movement is a powerful source of communication. Your dog and your cat are professionals at observing body language and that also translates into a sensitivity to hand signals.

Conversations with Dogs: Sometimes an Accidental Communication

I heard a woman talking with her dog this morning. She said, “Leave it!” Her dog was charging toward another dog on the street who was off leash.












That is a great direct conversation to have with a dog. She was saying, “Stop doing what you are doing!” and she expected an action. Dogs – animals in general – are all about action, and a conversation with a dog that includes action is very good.

This imperative statement “Leave it!” took a lot of discussing between dog and human for the dog to understand the conversation. Some call it training. That’s okay. People talk about ‘training dogs’ so, use the words which make you understood to the people you talk to.

In reality 'Leave it!' is a conversation between dog and human using mutually accepted jargon.

But the woman this morning said it all wrong. In the emotion of the situation, she said it all wrong. It is amazing that the dog even stopped. She screamed the words in an incredibly high, shrill voice.

No matter the words she screamed, she was telling the dog “Danger!”

Now, depending on the dog’s temperament, he could react in one of two ways. If you tell a dog “danger is there” he can decide to protect you from that danger and attack or he can move closer to guard you. But understand that a dog who loves you will protect you if he senses danger.















This woman could have had a bad accident with her dog. And it would not have been the dog's fault.

It is an axiom in the horse world that the horse is never at fault; the human is at fault – for accidents, injuries, or bad behavior.

I want you girls to think the same way with dogs. You need to be very clear in your conversations with a dog, especially when it is important to your or his safety. Or you could have an accident.
















So this woman could have precipitated an accident because she was clearly communicating to the dog but it was not what she intended to communicate.

So how do you communicate clearly?

You have a conversation.

And it is not mysterious or magical. You can learn it.

A Conversation with Trudy about Appropriate Locations for ... urmmm "Scent Signals"

So, let's have a conversation with Trudy about appropriate locations.

Remember. Heidi is Big Momma. Dan is Big Daddy. Grace is Little Momma. Bosco is puppy brother.

Level one response from Big Momma and Big Daddy: Big Voice, pointy finger, clean up and put poop outside, banishment to the patio for a minute, spray smelly human air freshener on the spot. Then no more than 60 seconds later, reconnect with love and praise (both dogs) in the house where it still smells like human air freshener.


"Hands on Hips" Level two response from Big Momma and Big Daddy: Reenact level one with bigger emotional displays coupled with ignoring the dogs: Really Big Voice, pointy finger with lots of shaking, throw the poop in the back yard, stand and stare in the direction that you threw the poop - hands on hips (ignoring dogs), leave them outside, spray the offending spot and related area with air freshener. Then no more than 60 seconds later, reconnect with love and praise (both dogs) in the house where it still smells like human air freshener.

Level three response from Big Momma and Big Daddy: at a later time in the presence of the dogs and for no other reason than you want to, spray the offending spot with air freshener, ignoring dogs’ response. After 60 seconds, tell them they are good dogs.

When you throw the poop and stare at it and when you overwhelm the offending spot with your smell, the dogs will start a conversation with you where they say: “I am sorry.”

By ignoring them for a few seconds, you finish the conversation by communicating “Don't talk to me. You should be sorry.”














Level four response from Big Momma and Big Daddy: Perform all previous levels and then place something of yours that smells like you (a not-laundered tee shirt) in the middle of the room and chastise the dogs with Warning Voice and even finger point for getting near it. You can pick up the tee shirt and put it away. You can bring it back for no reason other than you want to. Don’t leave it there too long. (A conversation has to end at some point, doesn’t it?)

Grace should not be a part of the discipline conversation. She is Little Momma. Her role is key in reconnection with love and praise and she should ask them directly to be nice to Big Momma and Big Daddy. Grace can point out the poop to YOU. Grace can tell YOU that they are getting near the tee shirt. Grace can watch quietly as you stomp out of the room with the offending poop. But she should actively participate in the reconnection at the end of the discipline. Her role as Little Momma is a bridge between Big People and Little Dogs. She always sides with Big People and asks Little Dogs to be good.

If Grace forgets her role during the discipline conversation, try to hush her quickly and quietly. She should never be disciplined at the same time that Little Dogs are being disciplined, that would undermine her status. Status is everything. She is Little Momma and that is a special relationship to be prized and cultivated.

There will be an added benefit for Grace if she performs her role as Little Momma well. (She will love it.) If in the future Grace gets in trouble with Big Momma and/or Big Daddy for something she has done, Little Dogs will start a conversation with her. They will comfort her. “Little Momma," they will say, "We understand what it feels like to be disciplined but please, please be good to Big Momma and Big Daddy.”

Utt-Oooh. Trudy Gets in Trouble

Trudy has been charming her new family. She has integrated quickly into the house routine. She is bright, playful, and enchanting. She and Norwich boyfriend Bosco play incessantly in the game “Chase Me – I’ll Chase You!” In true terrier fashion, it can be almost scary with growls and yelps and snarls. Time Out! Rest. Pant. Pant. Pant. And off again on loops around the house.

But within the last few days, Trudy got in trouble. Defecation in the house.

Now, Trudy’s doggie momma would never allow defecation in the whelping box or in common areas so Tru-Tru knows better.





When Trudy came to live here with my husband and me she came under the reign of experienced Alpha Female Mrs. Boots and was instructed on rules of defecation. Nobody messes with The Toot Boot.
No.
Body.











So, what is happening?

First, I believe Trudy is communicating something to Bosco – or it could be Grace but let’s first guess it is Bosco. Trudy is a very stable girl and follows the rules so therefore she is talking to the male puppy in the household.

A little summary. Rules Governing Communication Between Pack Members. With such a big pack here at my house, I had strict rules about expressions of irritation between the dogs. They learned the rules well and enforced the rules on and to each other. And the rule was (from their viewpoint): we can talk to each other but we can never get so disruptive that we displease Big Momma and Big Daddy because everybody gets in trouble. Me because I did it and them because they allowed it to happen.

So they signal each other at a low enough level that it never breaks the barrier of disrupting the household.

Some staring, some stiff-legged postures, lowered heads, flatulence, bad breath, burps, coughs, some growls, some snaps, some quick movements – that’s okay. (I suspect they get a little rougher with each other when out of sight but they do know that big vocalizations can be heard and are disruptive.)

So poop in the house is (from a dog’s viewpoint) a low level but very effective smell signal. Trudy and Bosco should learn that poop in the house was, is, and always will be interpreted by Big Daddy and Big Momma as a Big Disruption. Let the dogs go back to farting, burping, bad breath, and rubbing their backs on the carpet as low level smell signals. (Signals are not always negative or aggressive. Most signals are cooperative.)

Bosco has his role in this.











It's a conversation between the two. He ignored Trudy’s signals so she escalated. Bosco needs a little discipline too. Don’t worry. He’ll understand. If Trudy gets the Big Voice, the pointy finger and banishment to the patio (for a minute – no more), he should be banished along with her so they can talk over their strategy.

This is Trudy!

My friends Heidi and Dan are the proud adoptive new family for my Scottie girl, Trudy.


Trudy came to me this year at the death of my very best girlfriend Pat. Pat passed from pancreatic cancer 47 days after her initial diagnosis.

Trudy has been living with my husband and me and five other Scottish Terriers for six months. She is my Sunshine Girl.

Trudy goes to live with Heidi, Dan, their daughter Grace and a fine & handsome Norwich Terrier, Bosco. Trudy now becomes a member of the pack: Big Momma Heidi, Big Daddy Dan, Little Momma Grace, and puppy brother Bosco. Best wishes to you, Tru-Tru. You are in a loving forever family.

Here's is a picture of Trudy with her brother Gryffie. Everyone loves Trudy and she is receiving a kiss from little brother.

The A Team

McCain & Palin. Let's call them the A Team -- Arizona, Alaska.

Phoebe's Debut

Momma Tutti and Baby Phoebe
22 days old

photo courtesy of our friend Ed Goldstein