Legends On Four Legs...

Dogs & Friends

Robin Morris

Legends On Four Legs...

There is no copyright on this work. The author welcomes reproduction but due credit is required First Published in 2012 By

P O Box 1588 Jeffreys Bay 6330 South Africa www.assegaipublishing.com Assegai Publishing is based in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. It is a non-profit organisation dedicated to spreading goodwill and spiritual direction via the printed word. All proceeds go to J/Bay Pet Rescue who feed and provide medication for destitute and abused animals.

Editor: Carmen-Anne Mackay e-mail: southwestjbay@truewan.co.za Cover Illustration: Stephen Bibb

Introduction Jack Mac Stewart the dog whisperer

This is a fun book that creatively explores the relationships between man and his/her best friend. The book also includes some wonderful dog care advice, which we can all take cognisance of. Dogs are able to easily harm us and yet they choose to rather shower us with unconditional love. Their emotions are sincere, they have few needs in life and they are without doubt one of the most charismatic animals on our planet. Dogs are blessed with a wonderful sense of genuine love for fun in life. Sadly man still chooses to abuse these incredible animals but lets not even go there. In this book the author has also included a montage of images and anecdotes to portray dogs and their many animal friends as true heroes, leaving one with that content inner feeling that our world is definitely a better place with these fascinating and ever loving good buddies at our side. I could wish for no better friend than my dog. He accepts me as I am, is beyond loyal and I know he would willingly sacrifice his life for me, plus the love he has for me is true love. What more could I ask for in a friend. I am honoured to have been asked to provide the introduction for such a worthy book. I owe it to all my special animal companions whom Ive had the pleasure to share my life with since I was a child

Kett
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I Rescued A Human Today Fido

His eyes met mine as he walked down the corridor, peering apprehensively into our kennels. I felt his need instantly and knew I had to help him. I wagged my tail, but not too exuberantly, I didnt want him to be afraid. As he stopped at my kennel, I blocked his view from a little accident Id incurred at the back of my small cage. I didnt want him to know that I hadnt been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didnt want him to think poorly of them. As he read my kennel card, I hoped that he wouldnt feel too sad about my past because thats all behind me now. I only have the future to look forward to and I want to make a difference in someones life. I know I can do it. He got down on his knees and made little kissy sounds at me. In return, I brushed my shoulder up against the cold steel bars to comfort him. Gentle, probing fingertips caressed my neck in return; he was desperate for unconditional companionship. A tear fell down his cheek so I raised my paw to assure him that all would be well. Slowly my kennel door opened. His smile was so bright that I instantly leapt into his arms. I would promise to keep him safe and always be by his side. I would promise to do everything just to see that radiant smile and sparkle in his eyes. He was so fortunate that he came down my corridor. There are so many more out there who havent walked these corridors. So many more humans to be saved. Im glad I saved one today...

I Rescued A Human Today!

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To All The Animals In Wind, Sea & Earth Please Dont Ever Desert Us For We Need You More Than You Need Us...

Contents
Page

1.) Dogs

2.) Puppies

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3.) Choosing A Dog

31

4.) Caring For Your Dog

39

5.) Old Age

50

6.) Dogs & Friends

55

7.) Eclipse

88

Okay, so show us what ya got!

Yeahthis is my turf & Ill protect it!

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Chapter One
God Made the earth, the sky and the water, the moon and the sun. God made man and bird and beast but God didn't make the dog. God already had one! (Native American Saying)

Dogs are such incredible animals. Its usually the first animal we meet as
children. We get to know and trust the family pet. We sometimes even bully the family pet because being young, we dont know any better but as we grow older the family pet becomes our first love. Not an intimate adult love but an innocent child love. It happens so naturally and it occurs because this is the first life form that we feel we can trust, truly trust. So we share all our secrets, all our troubles and all our young worldly problems with the family pet. Whether the family pet understands or not doesnt matter. The fact that he/she cannot talk is probably the reason why our trust is so deep. If the family pet is a dog then before long your dog becomes your life. The dog is your shadow. The dog follows you everywhere and even sulks when he/she cannot follow you, like when you go to school. However, when you come home, the first life form to meet you, waiting patiently in the driveway, tail wagging enthusiastically, is old faithful and that dog makes such a fuss of you, you feel incredibly welcomed. All the hassles you brought home with you magically disappear. This is unconditional love. A genuine love that cannot be bought. Even when the dog is a puppy and gets scolded for making a mistake, like
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piddling inside, the dog learns its lesson eventually but doesnt take offence because you moaned and admonished him/her. The fact is, your dog could hurt you anytime it wanted to and yet dogs cannot bring it upon themselves to ever hate you, no matter how cruel you are and there are so many humans out there who are so cruel to their pets and yet their pets still love them? They may at times fear and even distrust their humans but they will never stop loving them. Be careful. This love and trust is only characteristic with dogs. Dont expect it from any other animal, especially the cat! Animals, being mammals, share the same basic senses as humans with smell, sight, taste, touch and hearing, plus they also have basic emotions. They are quick to anger, eager to please, they feel pain and hunger, heat and cold and they even feel emotional pain, like the loss of a loved one. They dont have deep underlying emotions like humans but they do share some emotions. A dogs life is fortunately a lot simpler, which is probably what makes them so adorable and so trusted as a best friend. Plus they are incredibly loyal. Whether this is a pack thing that is bred into their genes or whether its just in their nature, it is surely one of the most endearing attributes a dog has in relation to a human.

We are not stupid!

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One of the problems we have in understanding animals is that we often anthropomorphize their behaviour, assuming they are as complicated emotionally, as humans. This is a common error. Animals are not humans! They are however warm blooded mammals and therefore are not that far off the human DNA structure code but cognitively they are still essentially below the mental capability of the incredibly complex human brain and this is something that we need to constantly remind ourselves of. We may not have the depth of all their keen senses or the ability to savage another life form with our teeth (which is why we are not carnivores) or run as fast as a dog or jump as high and so on but we were blessed with higher mental intelligence, allowing us the ability to plan, coordinate, communicate, develop, strategise, create and so on. Together, we therefore do make an incredible team. A dogs acute senses have been defined as follows: Sight: Since dogs do not have a spoken language, their thoughts are more like a sequence of images, much like a child before they learn to speak. It is however, their sight that provides this sequence of images so sight is a vitally important sense for a dogs cognitive ability.

I am sooo watching you!

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Originally, scientists believed dogs were colour-blind, able to only see shades of black and white with some grey. This theory was later disproved after scientific laboratory tests proved dogs are able to see colour ranging from blues and greens to grays and crmes, including black and white. Humans on the other hand are able to distinguish between millions of colours. Dogs can detect distant motion plus their night vision is way more advanced than humans. This is due to an additional reflective layer in the eye called the Tapetum Lucidum, which reflects light back into the receptor cells of the eye. This not only increases their night vision, it also gives them that spooky appearance of eyes, glowing in the dark. A humans vision is considered perfect at 20/20 whereas a dog's vision is on average 20/75. Dogs can therefore recognise objects better when they are moving but will sometimes overlook the same object when it is still. Dogs have poor binocular vision so they see a wider view at a longer distance rather than close up. Dogs can see images on a television screen, but they tend to see a rapidly flickering light in the picture, almost like a strobe light. This is because a humans flicker resolution ability is about 55 Hz while a dog's is a lot faster at about 75 Hz. Hearing: Dogs have incredible hearing in comparison to humans. They are able to hear high pitched sounds that humans fail to hear. Sheep farmers, for example, often train their dogs using a special whistle that emits a specific high pitched frequency, a frequency that only dogs can hear. Dogs often bark incessantly at night. This is for a reason. Dogs dont normally just bark. The dog is probably hearing something that you cannot hear, which is upsetting him. There will always be a reason. Dogs are able to hear four times the distance humans hear, with some breeds going way past that. As a comparison - a human hearing a sound a hundred metres away equates to a dog hearing the sound almost a half a kilometer away.
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A dog is able to determine and identify the specific pitch in a cars engine. They know when you are coming home from the unique sound of your cars engine as opposed to the similar sound of other cars.

You may think I am sleeping but I can hear everything youre saying!

Dogs are able to detect sounds in a frequency range of approximately 67 - 45,000 Hz (varies with different breeds). Humans in comparison have an approximate range of 64 - 23,000 Hz. As humans and dogs get older they both lose their ability to hear certain frequencies. A dogs ears are also designed to catch more of the available sound waves around us. Some breeds have as many as eighteen muscles within the ear, enabling their ears to move in all directions, including independently of each other. Dogs with perked ears and larger ears, usually hear better than dogs with hanging or floppy ears. This is more pronounced if they have the ability to move their ears in the direction of the sound. Touch: Dogs also have an incredibly acute sense of touch, which is surprising considering they are covered in fur. This is due to a sensitive nervous system that keeps the dog constantly alert. Puppies are born with
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sensory receptors in their faces so they can find their mothers breasts for milk, plus in case they get separated from the mother before theyre able to open their eyes. Puppies are born blind. When it comes to the touch sense, dogs love the comforting feeling of having you next to them. This is why theyll always sit as close to you as possible. Dogs have sensory nerves all over their bodies, just as humans do, so dogs thrive on being touched and stroked. This is an important bonding experience for dogs. Stroking a dog is known to be therapeutic; it reduces blood pressure, calms the nerves and scientists claim that animal bonding causes people to live longer. Remedial specialists in the USA use trained dogs, which they take to homes, hospitals and schools so that those who have no access to animals can stroke them. This benefits both the dogs and the humans.

I Just love my doggy!

However, a careful warning - do not approach a strange dog and stroke it for you may lose your hand! Like humans, dogs also have a personal zone. This is known as ones Aura. It is the flow of kinetic energy that surrounds the body. Our spirit, including animals, consists of divine energy created by divine thought from God. This divine energy, although
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trapped inside a human body, also extends around the body. It is seen as a myriad of shimmering colours. The colours are determined by our moods and emotions. This existent energy field is no different with an animal or in fact, any life form. If anyone enters your personal space (Aura) your immediate reaction is to either step back or push the offending person away. With dogs, if the dog is a fairly submissive breed they will immediately shy away from a strangers touch. Whereas, an attack dog breed like, Alsations, Pitbulls, Shar-Peis, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Bull Terriers and so on will instantly attack if they feel threatened. So, dont make a habit of running up to the nearest dog to pat it. This warning should be made especially clear to children. Dogs need to get to know you before theyll allow you to share your affection but once youve made the connection and they understand your energy flow youll have a friend for life. In addition, because dogs are able to tune into the Universal energy around us, they are able to read your moods, emotions and even your character merely by smelling your presence and feeling your energy. Due to this they immediately decide whether they like you or dislike you. Unlike humans, there are no hidden agendas with dogs. You will know immediately if a dog happily accepts your presence. This is not to infer that the dog will never accept you in the future, its just for that first meeting. If he initially dislikes you it means youve got a bit of work to do. Once he gets to know you and understand you, a trust is soon formed. Smell: Humans dont even come close to a dogs ability when it comes to scent. A dog interprets the world predominantly by smell, whereas a human interprets it by sight. A dog's brain is only one-tenth the size of a human brain. However, the part that controls smell is forty times larger in dogs as opposed to humans. Its been estimated that a dogs sense of smell is one hundred thousand times more powerful than a humans (depending
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on the breed). Just think about that for a minute

I can smell you and hear you kitty-kat!

Their nasal passages are designed to receive and trap odours. The scent nerves are large and numerous. Just inside the roof of the mouth is an organ called the Jacobson's organ or the nasal-vomero organ, which helps the dog process different scents. Scientists claim humans have about five million olfactory receptors, versus something insane like fifty times that amount for a dog. In the military, dogs are used to trace buried mines. Police use dogs to track the bad guys through woods, busy roadways and so on. They can pick up a trail that is seven days old. Customs officials use dogs at airports to detect drugs and various other illegal imports and so it continues. A dog also uses his nose as a way to communicate. Dogs greet each other by smell. Ever wondered why your dog's nose is wet? The mucus on a dog's nose actually helps them smell by capturing scent particles. When a dogs nose is dry they may lick it to aid their scent. When you see a dog running around with his nose to the ground, sniffing everything in sight, hes actually having a whale of a time reading
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the calling cards of everyone dogs, humans, cats, squirrels, anything thats passed that way before him. When a dog smells something, they are not just registering a smell, they capture an entire story plus some history. Dogs have even been known to smell cancer on people and then alert them to the sickness, thereby saving their lives. While a human will smell something like a good curry as one, strong pungent smell, a dog is able to smell each individual ingredient within the curry. Like their ears, dogs are able to move their nostrils independently, allowing them to decipher what direction a smell is coming from and then even remembering it. The part of the brain that receives messages from the nerves of the nose is highly developed and therefore capable of storing scent information like a computer. A dog can both sniff and breathe via the nose, however these are two different functions. Breathing is for air, but when they sniff with short breaths they actually save some scent that isnt exhaled. When a dog is over heated and actively panting, their sense of smell can be reduced by as much as forty percent. This is because they use their excess breath to cool themselves rather than for scent. Taste: Similar to humans, taste is closely linked to the sense of smell. We may smell something before we dare taste it. Likewise, so will a dog. The difference is, with a dogs acute sense of smell hell immediately analyse what hes smelling and then quickly decide to either push it away with his nose or eat it. A dogs' tongue is similar to ours. They can detect sweet, sour, bitter and salty like we do. Their sense of taste begins at birth when puppies are led to the warm texture and sweetness of their mothers milk, purely by smell and touch. A dog is a carnivorous mammal. Their digestive system consists of a short, fat intestine with powerful digestive acids to break down the animal flesh they consume. Theyre also equipped with powerful jaws for killing prey and tearing off chunks of flesh, which they swallow whole. No
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chewing. Humans are different. We are herbivores. We chew the cud, masticating food into tiny particles before swallowing, just like other herbivore animals. We also have a sophisticated digestive system with a long intestine, similar to other herbivores. We dont have sharp, large teeth or a powerful jaw. A dogs food intake is therefore different to ours. They are not dependant on five fruits and five vegetables a day plus sugars and proteins from legumes and so on. As a carnivore, their digestive system is far less complex, compared to ours.

Youre too pretty to be part of my diet!

Therefore, do not feed your dog high sugar foods like chocolate or dried fruits, especially raisins or any other refined foods. Their digestive system isnt designed to handle it. These types of foods will harm your dog. Our sense of taste is also more refined than a dog. We appreciate good tasting food. The taste sensors on our tongue are able to easily distinguish various tastes compared to a dog who relies on his incredible sense of smell to decide whether it is safe or not to eat.
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Energy: Dogs have a Universal sense, which humans also share but are not readily aware of. Dogs are able to feel the energy (emotions) of other beings around them. This equally applies to all animals but we notice it more easily in dogs, probably because were more in tune with them. In human terminology, we refer to this energy abstract as our mystical sixth sense. All animals can feel energy, especially human emotions. This is a Universal animal language. While you can hide your emotions from another human, you cannot hide them from an animal, especially a dog.

Lay off humanme & da dog are busy communicating!

Animals are able to tune into the Universal energy source, which is a magnetic vibration that flows freely all around us. It is generated from the planets, Solar Systems and Galaxies constantly spinning on their axis. This constant rotational movement generates massive gravitational electromagnetic energy fields throughout the Universe. Our mighty suns gravitational field also sends life giving energy to our planet. It arrives in waves of magnetic energy providing a constant push/pull magnetic field that is invisible to us. In addition, Planet Earth spins on its perfect axis generating its own electro-magnetic field of gravity around the planet.
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The actual energy from all these sources is measured in frequencies. Similar to the way we tune into a radio wave, animals are able to tune into the Universal magnetic energy around us by tuning into the desired frequency. This is how animals are able to communicate telepathically. Have you ever watched a group of wild animals out in the wild all grazing peacefully together?

I hear youI hear you!

Clearly these animals are not communicating vocally to one another, asking if they have all come in peace. Somehow they all know theyre not going to harm one another. There are so many animal stories to prove that animal communication via gravitational magnetic energy exists. The previous book, Energy Within Us Without Us provides many examples of animals tuning into the existent Universal energy. If you have a dog of your own and youre close to your dog, you will know what an incredible sense of intuition your dog has. It is way above human intuition. A classic example is when tsunamis or volcanoes or earthquakes threaten an area, animals and birds are the first life forms to evacuate the vicinity and they do this long before the crisis even begins. Dogs interpret human emotions such as worry, anxiety, fear, anger, pity and nervousness, as a weakness, preferring to rather protect than respect. A dog that is extremely close to you will likewise display similar
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emotions to your emotive situation.

Dont worrybe happy!

Dogs lean more towards humans who are calm, but firm in their approach. They use their sense of intuitive energy reading to determine who they should rather follow. He/she who emits the strongest and most stable energy force is the one they will more than likely favour, look up to and respect the most. It is due to this acute intuition sense that dogs have the ability to feel humans. They understand moods as much as they can read emotions. If you are agitated, your animal will be agitated. Rather remain calm and assertive when interacting with your dog. Very often, dogs behavioural patterns are merely an extension of their owners characters. Beware!

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

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If youd like to read the remainder of this book you can order a copy as a download (South Africa only) from: www.robinmorris.co.za Or you can order a beautiful full colour printed copy or a download from: Amazon Create Space Lulu Many thanks for taking the time out to read this first chapter Robin Morris
See author bio on the following page

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About The Author - Dr. Tim Mtshali

Robin Morris lives in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. An avid and dedicated surfer, he made this area his home due to the perfect right-hand waves that break at this famed surfing destination. This is Robins eleventh book. His first was a fiction novel called, Staying Alive followed by the sequel The Return. Both published for world-wide release by TOR Tom Doherty Associates in the USA. His next four books were technical editions: Training Your Dog published by Landbou Media 24; The Marketing Principle published by Butterworths (Durban South Africa); Marketing To Townships published by Juta (Johannesburg South Africa); and the very successful How To Make A Surfboard published by Assegai Publishing (South Africa). His seventh book, Bongeni is a historical novel set in the AngloBoer war period in South Africa, published by Assegai Publishing. This was followed by, I See Therefore I Am I Think which is a Mind, Body & Spirit book, offering a unique perspective on Life and religion in general. This was followed by the sequel, Energy Within UsEnergy Without Us, which continues with the spiritual electro-magnetic theory and expands on the concepts covered in the previous book. His last book is a childrens adventure story entitled, Da Kahuna Kidz and Da Tsunami which is a wonderful story about six teddy bears who live on a magical fantasy island. Robin also has several music CDs available on the worldwide market (www.cdbaby.com) featuring his unique mix of guitar driven instrumental music. www.robinmorris.co.za
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