"Just" a dog? No way!

Except for my childhood dog, all the pooches I’ve had in my life either found me or were found by me. Each of these dogs was special in their own way, but two had an especially profound impact on my life.

Rex, a German shepherd, was in my life from the end of my first-grade school year until I was a junior in college. I now see in hindsight that, when I was growing up, Rex kept me more grounded than any human did. He plays a special role in the series of books I have written about Arthur, a fictional character that is solidly grounded in fact. In the book, I describe a situation in which Rex rescues me—er, Arthur—from an attack by five other dogs. Though I can’t give away all my secrets as a writer, I admit here that this particular vignette is completely factual.

Many years later, I met Lance, a border collie. I rescued him from a bad situation, and he returned the favor in multiple ways. Lance was ten years old when I met him. I guess you could say Lance was an old dog that taught this old rescuer new tricks.
How did my time with Lance affect me?

• He forced me to take those mammoth hikes that helped melt a few inches off my waistline. Unfortunately, the reduced weight turned out to be a temporary phenomenon.:)
• Seeing a similarity between Lance’s life and mine(described in Chapter 40 of Lance: A Spirit Unbroken) led me to re-evaluate the meaning of life in general and my life in particular.
• Lance gave me the impetus to try tying up a loose end in my life (described in the final chapter of Lance: A Spirit Unbroken). I’m still working on that.
• My experience with Lance motivated me to donate money and my time to local rescue organizations.
• He taught me and a good number of my readers to be on the lookout for other dogs in Lance-like situations. Lance’s message: Don’t just look, act! I hope the Arthur series has the same result when it comes to protecting children.
• Finally, Lance motivated me to belatedly  take the plunge and start writing. That effort has produced  four published books with three more in the works. Every single word I have written since 2010 is the direct result of the time I spent with Lance. He continues to be my literary mentor. In the interest of journalistic honesty.
  
• P.S, In the interest of journalistic honesty, I confess the German shepherd in the above photo is not Rex. Rather, it’s a photo of Thea, my book editor’s pet. Alas, I have no old photos of Rex, but he lives on in my memory.
  

 
What has a dog (or dogs) done for you? Please post your thoughts below.

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