Doggie Freedoms

My ancestors had the most freedom. They could roam where they wished. (image: http://www.firstpeople.us)

Dad told me something the other day that got me thinking. It's not really about RVing, but effects every dog and human, whether he lives on the road in an RV, or in a house. Dad said that we were lucky to live in a country and a time that gave us Freedom. I asked him what Freedom was and he described it to me. I was able to understand him because Dogs have a similar concept. I won't try to tell you the dog word for it, (it's a high pitched barking sound you probably wouldn't hear anyway) but I'll call it Freedom too.

Freedom is important to dogs as well as humans. Our ancestors knew it best. They could run free (thus the human word, free dom, I'm not sure where the dom comes from) in packs. They roamed the country looking for food, good places to live or rest, and protection from bears and other frightening animals (like early humans). No one told them where they could or could not roam, (there were no National Parks then) except maybe for another pack of dogs.

Today, freedom for dogs is not the same. Many dogs are kept in small fenced areas where they barely can turn around. Now this is OK for a while, especially at night, because we enjoy the protection of a small den or cave, but not all day long. Dogs in pet stores or dog pounds (or dog jails) must stay in small cages for long periods. At least some of the dog pounds take their dogs out for exercise once per day or more, but that's not common.

These caged dogs don't have freedom.

Some dogs are born in "puppy mills" where they are raised in small spaces just to be sold. While being raised to be sold to pet stores and before they are sold a caring human, they have no freedom at all. Their human breeders never play with them, they have no space to run or to even turn around, and they are sometimes without water to drink or a clean place to lie. I'm so thankful that me and my brothers and sisters were raised by a caring and loving and knowledgeable human that gave us good food and plenty of room to be with our real moms while we were very small. I even had freedom when I was just born.

People who work all day and play all night often want a dog for protection and give them no freedom or love.

Some dogs are unlucky with freedom and have human masters that spend no or little time with them and they are caged in a small yard or fenced area all day and night. They have little contact with other dogs or humans. That's not fair. I feel sorry for those dogs. I understand from my visits with many dogs on the road that there are a lot of these dogs in cities where humans work all day and play all night, but still need a dog for "company or protection." I know those dogs are in pain and are depressed in spirit. I wish I could give all of them their freedom.

Dogs that humans keep for only fighting have the opposite of freedom. I wish their masters would trade places with them!

Some dogs who are kept by humans to fight for money must stay in cages in the dark all day long, with their only excursion out of the cage being to fight another dog. That is the opposite of freedom and no dog enjoys that. Humans that do that deserve the same treatment in my opinion. I'm thankful that there are humans who are working to give those dogs freedom. (See the Humane Society web page about it.)

I have a lot of freedom, but not like my ancestors. I can't roam around freely. I have come to learn that if I did, I would be in lots of danger. There are so many dangers for dogs that live with humans. There are large trucks and motorhomes to avoid, speeding cars, packs of coyotes, packs of angry wild dogs that no one wants, bad humans that want to harm dogs or dog-nap them, poison that look like foods to eat which harm us, dog diseases and many other things. So freedom for dogs is different than for our ancestors.

The freedom to sleep safely and where you want. It's great that I have those freedoms.

However, I still have a lot of freedoms. I enjoy the freedom of being able to sleep outside or inside during the day, the freedom to take a walk with Dad or Mom and sometimes get off leash when they think it is safe. I like the freedom to follow a good scent until Dad or Mom thinks it's not safe to do so. I like the freedom to be friends with humans and other dogs. I have the freedom to walk around the motorhome and lie where I want and tell Mom or Dad when I'm ready to go out, or when I'm out, when I want to come in. I love the freedom of running in a field of grass in the country when Mom and Dad visit RedRock RV Park. I love the freedom to go to a dog park and run around with newly found friends. I love the freedom to be me.

I wish for the freedom of all dogs to be able to explore the flowers and mountains with me!

The freedom that Mom and Dad have seems so much more than mine. They can go where they want without a leash, take their RV all over the country, free to see what they want, eat what they want and when they want, and they can speak what they want. However, it seems that with that freedom comes a lot of responsibilities that us dogs don't have. Like how to pay for the fuel to travel, and how to pay for the food to eat and how to pay for the computers to browse the internet. Getting money to pay for these freedoms is hard (I know since I have to work to write this blog and it's not easy coming up with a different topic every week and then typing it with my big paws!)

I have the freedom to follow a scent when I'm in the mountains with Mom and Dad.

I think that freedom is the reward you get for working together with other humans (or dogs) to accomplish something good for everyone in the pack. Freedom doesn't seem to be a "free" thing, but something you work hard to get and keep. I guess it's the same for dogs. Our ancestors who roamed in the pack worked hard and worked together to get and keep each other's freedom.

Those of us that have freedom must continually work together with our humans and be friendly to our human Mom and Dads and other human friends. If we are not friendly, our freedoms are taken away. Being friendly and doing your job well is a very small price to pay for your freedoms. It's a good deal and I'm planning on keeping my freedom as long as I live.

Where ever I go I feel lucky to be free and have choices that so many other dogs don't.

So be friendly to your neighbors and your friends and you'll keep and value your freedoms..

Arf

Reggie