My dog, Vida, and her sixth sense

At first I thought she must have a sixth sense like those dogs that have been reported acting strangely before an earthquake hits or dogs that somehow get left behind on a family vacation, only to walk for miles across the country and ending up home. Or how about stories of the dog that knows when dad is returning home from work, ten minutes before he comes down the street or turns into the driveway? Is it a sixth sense or is something else going on? I cannot explain the three examples I cite above, but I think I can clarify Vida's "sixth sense" as informed intuition.

One of the primary ways dogs adapt and survive is by carefully studying his or her owner's every move. That is how dogs learn to live with humans. In other words, if they do not study humans, they will have a harder time surviving. From the dog's point of view pleasing humans means an easy dinner, shelter, and even medical care. In my view this is the difference between dogs and cats. Dogs learn to be close and devoted while cats remain independent and when they do not want human attention, they can be aloof. Many cats can take humans or leave them, while dogs have evolved to be largely dependent on them.

Don't get me wrong, I adore both my dog, Vida and my cat, Sully, but Vida sticks to me like glue and Sully only gets close when and if he feels like it. I admire both ways of interacting with humans. I also know I am making broad generalizations here and individual dogs and cats may not fit my characterization, but based on my personal experiences with both dogs and cats, this is how I see them. That being said let me explain about my failed efforts to fool Vida.

Vida has been my service dog for the past nine years. I got her when she was two years old. She had been in training to be a guide dog for the blind, but like so many others, she was released from the program because she was deficient in some area important for guiding the blind. I had been on a wait list for over two years to get a released dog and was delighted when I got the call to come get her. I am in a wheelchair and she quickly learned to walk by my chair, pick up objects out of my reach, and drop them into my lap. She also learned to go everywhere with me. Best of all she made meeting strangers easier because rather than people becoming uncomfortable around me in my wheelchair, Vida becomes the topic of conversation, neutralizes the situation and puts everyone at ease.

So why should I try to fool Vida? I try to act confident when I go through automatic doors and when I come down my van ramp, but actually both situations cause me to feel anxious and a little fearful. The automatic doors occasionally close before Vida and I are through them and the ramp can be difficult to manage especially if it or my tires are wet. Vida sees right through my efforts to act brave, picks up on my fear and then tries to avoid both situations. She will simply refuse to go through the doors or mount the ramp.

At first I thought she was just being difficult, but then I realized she was getting her cues from me. She reads the subtlest changes in my body language when we face doors or the ramp. I try as hard as I can to be calm and relaxed, but she knows by my slightest tightening grip on the leash or slight changes in the tone of my voice when I say, 'Vida, let's go!" She just looks at me like I've lost my mind. If she could talk I think she'd say, "Are you kidding? That is the door that closes too soon or that ramp isn't safe. Don't you remember what happened a couple of months ago?" When I insist she go through the doors or down the ramp, she runs as if we will be safe if we just go fast enough.

Of course there are other situations where I cannot fool Vida. I cannot get a dog treat into my pocket without her knowing, remembering, and staying, oh so close all day long. Then there is the leash and the keys that I cannot move without her assuming we are going for a walk. I feel very lucky to have such a close relationship with a canine companion. It almost makes living with a disability all right because that is what brought us together.

One of my best memories of Vida is when she came with me to my classes. She would lie down by my chair as I delivered my carefully crafted lectures. At the appropriate time, when I started going on too long, she would quietly groan or begin to snore. The students would burst into laughter because they agreed with Vida's assessment of the lecture that was going on and on.  

I guess that after nine years together both of us have become experts at reading each other. It is not knowing through a sixth sense, but rather knowing through careful observation of sounds, sights, smells, touches, and in Vida's case, tastes from her occasional licks. Both of us are using our five senses to study one another and then we each act with an informed intuition.

For further information on Guiding Eyes for the Blind release program, visit www.guidingeyes.org. For information on the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, visit www.saratogacountyny.gov or call (518) 885-4113. Also, if you have questions about your pets, pet adoption or other related topics send them to jsweet@skidmore.edu. If we do not have the answers, we will contact people who do!