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Many people feel that taking
the time to train their puppy or dog isn’t worth the
effort. What with everything else we have to do these days
in our busy lives, whose got the time?
Kimberley was just like
that. She’d never bothered training Jack…but then, one
day…
Kimberly and Jack ran
excitedly up to the top of the escarpment and gazed out
over the deep blue ocean waves as they rolled in from the
east. The sun was just appearing over the horizon, the
cool sea breeze on her face made her feel completely
alive, and Kimberley was as contented as she had ever
been.
The time she spent with
Jack, the 3 year old German shepherd she had rescued from
the animal shelter a few months earlier, was the most
precious part of her life. He seemed to know just what she
was thinking and was devoted to Kim to the point of being
a fanatic.
He wouldn’t leave her
side…unlike most of the other male companions she had
previously had in her life.
Jack was the perfect
companion.
He gave her unconditional
love, he was always there for her when she needed to talk
to someone, he lavished his undivided attention on her, he
never spoke back, and was always waiting patiently for her
when she came home from her work at the pharmacy.
The early morning walks
they shared helped her forget the many troubles in her
life, and allowed her just enjoy herself.
This morning was special.
She was on the first day of
her annual two-week vacation, and had plans to take Jack
up to the mountains hiking and camping for a few days
later in the week.
The thought of getting away
from the pressures of daily life made her feel a rush of
adrenaline and Jack could sense her excitement, yelping
and barking playfully as they frolicked in the grass at
the top of the ridge.
They played for over half
an hour, then turned to head for home to have something to
eat.
Maybe it was the excitement
of it all, but for whatever reason, Kimberly wasn’t
thinking straight as she undid Jack’s leash to let him
run on his own through the grassy fields as they descended
the hill towards the township below.
It happened in an instant.
Jack caught sight of a
rabbit hiding in the grass and took off after the animal
in a frenzied rush of excitement and playful enthusiasm.
Kimberley called him back,
but he was totally focused on catching the rabbit and
heard nothing but the creature’s cries for help as it
raced towards the safety of its borough.
Jack was a beautiful sight
to behold as he chased the rabbit in full flight across
the grassy field. Every second he gained on the small
creature, until he was only 10 feet behind it and closing
fast.
But Kim was looking on in
horror.
The rabbit had built its
borough close to the edge of the cliff, and Jack was
running at full speed towards the huge drop down to the
ocean below.
Kim could feel the fear
welling up inside her and she frantically called him back
as she ran towards the cliff top herself. “Stop
Jack!”, she cried, but he paid no attention to her
commands as he chased the rabbit towards the cliff top.
Just 6 feet short of the
cliff’s edge, the rabbit dropped into the safety of
it’s home below ground.
Jack didn’t see where the
animal went, and in the few seconds it took for him to
realize that the rabbit had escaped, his momentum carried
him off the cliff and over the edge.
Kimberley screamed as she
saw her beloved companion disappear out of sight.
“No!” she cried as she ran headlong towards the jagged
cliff top.
She peered over the edge
with tears streaming down her cheeks, fearing that her
best friend had fallen all the way to the rocks below.
She moved closer to the
edge screaming out to Jack, praying that by some miracle,
he had survived.
As she lay down to look
over the edge, she saw Jack wedged precariously next to a
tree stump on a small outcrop about 20 feet below,
injured, but alive.
If he had gone off the
cliff just 3 feet either side of where he did, he would
have fallen hundreds of feet to the rocks below. His life
had been spared, at least at the moment, by the narrowest
of margins.
A huge feeling of relief
welled up through Kimberley’s body as she saw that Jack
was still alive.
She pulled out her mobile
phone and called the police.
She quickly explained what
had happened to the officer on the line and a team of
rescue workers were dispatched to the cliff top to rescue
Jack.
Kimberley watched on with
trepidation as the rescue team carefully winched her
beloved Jack to safety from the outcrop that had saved his
life.
He had broken his left rear
leg and had some cuts and abrasions, but on the whole, he
was a very lucky dog that day…and Kimberley knew it.
She looked towards the sky
and gave thanks that her best friend had been spared.
She promised herself that
as soon as Jack was back on four legs, she would start to
train him to obey her commands so that something like this
could never happen again.
She felt guilty that her
neglect at not training him properly from the start could
have cost this beautiful animal his life. She felt sad but
also happy that she had been given another chance with
Jack, and she wasn’t about to waste it.
3 Months Later…
Kimberley and Jack are
again able to take their early morning walks, but now,
Jack’s lead is an option.
He obeys Kimberley’s
every command, and they have a deep, new found respect for
each other’s abilities that goes far beyond their roles
of dog and master. They are truly great friends.
Maybe you don’t take your
shepherd for off leash walks near cliff tops, but there
are lots of hazards just as dangerous around your home
that can cause your favourite pet to hurt himself…or
worse.
Running into moving
traffic, drinking something poisonous around your home,
jumping the fence and getting into fights with other
dogs…these are all situations that proper training can
severely restrict or eliminate.
Think for a moment of how
you would feel if your wonderful dog was injured or killed
by a car right in front of you because he ran out onto the
road despite your calls for him to come back.
Training is vital for every
pet so that they know what is expected of them and they
stay safe in an increasingly dangerous world. And properly
training your pet is your responsibility.
Please, take the time to
train your dog. If you don’t know where to start, there
are plenty of good books around to help.
Another option is to take
him to obedience classes in your local area.
This is the most focused
training you can give him (and yourself…) but it’s
also the most time consuming and expensive.
If you have the time and
financial resources, it’s usually the best way (if you
can find a good trainer), but if you don’t, then reading
a good training book and following it’s instructions
will give you a solid grounding on how to train your dog
properly.
Train him well, and he will
reward you for it in so many ways that you can’t
imagine.
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About
The Author
Rocky
Tapscott is an author and owner of Just
German Shepherds.com For free information
and articles on buying, training and
living with German shepherds, or any dog
for that matter, come and visit us at, http://www.just-german-shepherds.com/ |
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