When You Need a Friend...

When you have lived in the Washington, D.C. area, you are familiar with the saying, "If you're a politician and need a friend, get a dog!"

Everyone in need should have a dog (or a pet). Why? First, "Dog" is "God" spelled backward, so you got things covered coming and going, "Dog is my co-pilot."

Most importantly dogs offer unconditional love, are forgiving, and demand very little of their owners and soul mates - a little food and water, walks, hugs, and a measure of love returned. They also provide spontaneous moments of joy and reward.


I'm scheduled for my third Cyberknife radiation treatment today. Cookie, our 6-year old Cairn Terrier, came into the bedroom,
and did her best puppy bow with the obvious intention of inviting me to play. In this case, play consisted of me standing in the middle of the living room clapping my hands and yelling, "I'm going to get you!," while she races madly around the house, through my legs, under, and over the furniture, stopping only when she heard the toaster pop in the kitchen where my wife was making breakfast. "Toasties" are very high on Cookie's list of needs.

This was followed by some "training." This means she performs for treats. This morning with a chicken chip for motivation, I put her in a Sit-Stay and walked about 30' away and faced her. At this point, I'll usually use voice command and gesture for "Come," then "Stop" en route, followed by a final "Come" and reward. Today, I tried something new. She knows "Down" and "Stay", but I had never tried a Down-Stay from a distance. I was dubious about it working because the gestures for "Down" and "Come" are very similar, open palm toward dog moved vertically for "Down," horizontally for "Come."

So, starting her from a Sit-stay, I walked away, turned and gave the command for "Down." Sonnova gun, she dropped like a log and waited expectantly for the next command. Surviving cancer is a series of small victories - Cookie's my role model for success.