There are a lot of incredible stories of dogs saving someone's life. This story about a dog saving a boy with Type 1 diabetes' by waking his mother when his blood sugar got too low reminded me I still have to share the stories of why I did dog training for Frankie.
Frankie fairly immediately decided I was his mama and he gave me his full allegiance. I was really sick with Lyme when I adopted him and I figured a dog would help the healing process and keep me moving on days when just getting out of bed would be a struggle. That part of the plan was true beyond what I could even have expected.
Frankie fairly immediately decided I was his mama and he gave me his full allegiance. I was really sick with Lyme when I adopted him and I figured a dog would help the healing process and keep me moving on days when just getting out of bed would be a struggle. That part of the plan was true beyond what I could even have expected.
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| "I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE LYME. STOP NAPPING AND THROW THE TURTLE!!" - Frankie |
What I didn't realize was the extent to which Frankie could sense how diseased I was. My guess is something similar to smelling glucose levels was going on expect instead of just smelling my blood sugar (which sometimes would dangerously plummet because of Lyme-- the doctor called it diabetes insipidus), I think he could also smell when my blood ammonia levels were dangerously high.
On days like that we would still walk at least 2-3mi (not all at once and very slowly...), except instead of being mellow to make my life easier, Frankie was convinced every man near me was out to kill. There was a process to it...
... first Frankie would notice there was a man and that the man was moving...
...then when the man continued to walk/run/bike/skateboard past us...
It was a tough cycle to break Frankie out of especially because whenever it happened I was so fatigued I felt more like collapsing on the sidewalk then convincing the hyped-up guy to calm down.
One evening in August when I was really tired (and had not yet discovered the total emptiness of the Cherryvale trailhead), I took Frankie to Chattaqua. Walking along Aurora/30th was too crowded, I figured on a weekday around 8pm the trail would be totally empty.
We got there and it was. Since Frankie had more energy than my slow walking could quench, I let him off-leash figuring he could scamper around.
It was a good plan....at least, until we were ambushed!
Of course, the man was a stereotypical entitled-Boulder rich white guy (for more info on this phenomenon, check here) and instead of taking two seconds to stop running enabling me to quickly grab Frankie, he just started screaming profanities at us while trying to run faster (uphill-- an important thing to be aware of because when running uphill FRANKIE WILL ALWAYS WIN. HE IS ONLY 10 POUNDS AND APPARENTLY DOESN'T NEED OXYGEN). Now Frankie's task was not only to protect me but to also win the game of running while loudly barking-- a game he thoroughly enjoys.
Somehow that man survived unscathed and I was able to get Frankie back on-leash.
Now I know whenever I feel like dying, Frankie will always have my back, even if I don't want him to.
In fact, if you have a dog, this song will never be true for you:
... first Frankie would notice there was a man and that the man was moving...
... then he would decide it to be his duty to scare the man away...
...then when the man continued to walk/run/bike/skateboard past us...
It was a tough cycle to break Frankie out of especially because whenever it happened I was so fatigued I felt more like collapsing on the sidewalk then convincing the hyped-up guy to calm down.
One evening in August when I was really tired (and had not yet discovered the total emptiness of the Cherryvale trailhead), I took Frankie to Chattaqua. Walking along Aurora/30th was too crowded, I figured on a weekday around 8pm the trail would be totally empty.
We got there and it was. Since Frankie had more energy than my slow walking could quench, I let him off-leash figuring he could scamper around.
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| Frankie's general behavior at Chattaqua. |
Ok, it wasn't quite like that. But to Frankie it might as well've been. Some man had the gall to run past us from behind! No warning at all! And me smelling like a diseased bag of ammonia and death!
Frankie knew what he had to do.
With fury, he started to chase the fiend down with a level of fearsome viciousness lying somewhere between these two gifs....
Of course, the man was a stereotypical entitled-Boulder rich white guy (for more info on this phenomenon, check here) and instead of taking two seconds to stop running enabling me to quickly grab Frankie, he just started screaming profanities at us while trying to run faster (uphill-- an important thing to be aware of because when running uphill FRANKIE WILL ALWAYS WIN. HE IS ONLY 10 POUNDS AND APPARENTLY DOESN'T NEED OXYGEN). Now Frankie's task was not only to protect me but to also win the game of running while loudly barking-- a game he thoroughly enjoys.
Somehow that man survived unscathed and I was able to get Frankie back on-leash.
Now I know whenever I feel like dying, Frankie will always have my back, even if I don't want him to.
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| "I got your back bitch!"- Frankie |
In fact, if you have a dog, this song will never be true for you:
Your dog will always know.
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