Just had a very insightful conversation with a cab driver, who was a former K9 trainer. It was not a persistent, badgering sort of sharing (e.g. like the born again Christian at the pool who was pestering the guy in the next lane to go to his church when all the guy wanted to do was to continue swimming, blah blah…), but one that was sincerely passionate.
He was one of several officers that introduced a new method of training dogs (shan’t elaborate for security reasons), which unfortunately involved in the death of an individual (i refrain from using ‘murder’ and ‘killing’). This led to him getting charged and dismissed from the force. In a seperate case, the same method resulted in a lady receiving 180 stitches when her insurance agent husband set two dogs on her.
One useful thing that i took away from the conversation was that never ever wrestle (even playfully) with the owner of a big dog, especially in the case of boisterous youths. The dog has no idea you are playing, and not attacking, it’s owner. Apparently, if it’s chained the first time round and can only bark for all its worth, it will find another opportunity to get back at attack you, say during a future visit to your friend’s place when it’s not tied.
But what impressed me was his respect for dogs, so much so that he was willing to spend half an hour outside my gate talking to me while leaving the engine running. As you know, every idle minute is money lost, and given how tough things are nowadays for cab drivers…
He shared how his sister’s dog saved her life by hiding her sandals (‘he (the dog) looked as if he was crying, for the whole night before’) to ensure that she was late for work. Eventually, she had to cab to work. While in the taxi, her company called her family, saying the minibus she would have usually taken had overturned along nicoll highway during a thunderstorm.
On a related note he shared how his 8 month old german shepherd saved his wife from two indian robbers while they were walking down Sophia road in the middle of the night. The latter were armed with knives and a broom. That incident forever changed his wife’s opinion about canine’s.
He too mentioned how his very own grandmother’s dog guarded her coffin day and night without eating. It died with her.
And he was resolute in sharing how dogs have a sixth sense (that i believe). His dog’s sixth sense might have stuck with him after it passed on (he says his increased intuition at mahjong has elicited the notice of his kakis), but firmly believes it can only be used for good. His current three dogs know when he’s returning although he’s an expressway away, and recently they waited for him, knowing that he was dizzy (high blood pressure) and all. After he took his meds they went back to their normal selves.
Aside from that he shared several training tips. And he strongly recommended the standard schnauzer as the ideal pet dog – loyal, and willing to protect you against much bigger adversaries, even at cost to its own life. And despite it’s long coat, it does not shed (really? it would great if so).
And all this loyalty from a man who severely bitten by one as a child…
then again, i’ve always wanted a dog – a german shepherd. and chun and my friend/boss have really sweet lap dogs. sigh. well, but i can’t even find time for myself, much less a pet that will be a lifelong companion… and then again, i’m drifting towards cats… it’s just weird, like an abrupt change in sexuality :S
i don’t know. i’ve all but given up on pets without even starting, but after listening to what he had to say, i feel a quiet sense of hope, strangely. But definitely a sense of possibility.
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