R.I.P. Darlene Kerr. Your last battle was all too brief and fierce. Too fast to comprehend - I cant believe you are gone. That being said, I owe you great thanks. Thank you for discussing dogs and collies with me. Thank you for helping regain trust after a bad rescue experience. Thank you for our darling Pilot, Kerhavens Western Flyboy, who has been a most loved and wonderful dog. He has made us all better people in his own funny way, with laughter and love. Stevie has finished his public speaking speech. Life Lessons I Have Learned from My Dogs. Today I dedicate this speech to you Darlene as Pilot was his first puppy and they have grown up together - your contribution to my sons character will last his life time. Good morning Mr. Lynde, Mrs. Mohandas and fellow students. My speech today is how my dogs Kindle, Jasper and Pilot, have taught me valuable life lessons just by being themselves. I am really lucky to have 3 dogs. Not only have the dogs taught me about responsibility and kindness to animals, their very actions, their basic instincts are a treasure box of life lessons, if you know how to interpret what they do and why. Dog show us in their own way that they play, care for those around you, protect their family as well as learning to start over and make the best of things. All of this can be learned by observing what is commonly referred to as “Man’s Best Friend”. Dogs are naturally pack animals. That means they like to be around other dogs or people. They see the family as an extended part of their pack. Each family member, from the oldest to the youngest, have a place in the pack and the dogs will determine who is who in their pack. Kindle is our youngest dog. She is silly and playful. Kindle has reminded me to respect my elders and treat them with care. She knows that when my grandmother is visiting, she is to be very slow and careful with her. When she comes for a pat, she will be so gentle and slips her head under my grandmother’s hand for a pat. She is the most gentle at that time. Jasper, my other dog, loves laughter. Jasper has taught me to make the opportunity to have fun and play. When people laugh, he will run to get a toy and offers the first person closest to him his toy to play fetch or tug of war. He is so obviously happy when he brings his toy that Jasper reminds my whole family a moment of enjoyment can mean the world to each of us. Pilot is our largest dog. He is extremely caring and has taught me to help those who are in need. He did this in an extraordinary way. When my mom broke her leg and was going up and down the stairs, he would go with her, so she could lean on him for extra support. Now all of these extraordinary behaviours from my dogs were never taught to them. However, when they happened, the dogs were praised and told they were good. That is called positive reinforcement. That is also another important life lesson. Always thank those who help you or do something nice, it encourages them to do it again. My dogs are collies, like the famous movie dog Lassie. This means that they are herding dogs by nature which would make them naturally protective of their family. Pilot likes to know where everyone is. He checks up on everyone, especially my sister. When my sister was a baby, whenever Pilot was let back into the house, the first thing he did was to look for Emily and would run through the house, and look everywhere until he found her. To always watch out for the youngest member of your family is an important thing. The youngest members of the family need to be cared for and protected. However, at one time I was the youngest. I use to love the horse that our neighbour had. I would go to the back of my yard, pull grass and feed the horse. Not once did I ever get to feed the horse without Pilot, between me and the horse, standing tall and looking directly at the large animal. The life lesson here is not just about being protective of children, but also to face a fear by standing tall and looking up. It makes you look and feel more confident. Each of us knows sad stories and have heard about rescue dogs. My dog Jasper is one of those dogs. He was abandoned and moved from home to home because no one wanted him because he has a skin problem. When my parents took him in, he was the saddest dog you had ever seen. He felt rejected and abandoned. He walked with his head and tail down. We all worked hard to make him feel welcome while taking care of his medical problems. What did I learn about from that? Not only should I be compassionate but also, Jasper taught me something more important. When life seems impossible and you are totally alone, always have hope, there is always a brighter tomorrow. If you buy a dog from someone who sells registered purebred dogs, that person is called a breeder. My dog Pilot came from Regina, Saskatchewan and recently, his breeder came to Ontario. Her name is Darlene. She wanted to see Pilot again, as she hadn’t seen him since he was a puppy. But she also really wanted to meet our family. At the time, I didn’t know why. So we took Pilot and drove to Kincardine, Ontario to go visit. Darlene was very interested in our family and was so nice and pleasant. My sister and I talked with her and played with the other dogs that were there. Darlene also patted Pilot a lot. She watched him with us and was so happy to see how much he loves his family. What I found out after the visit was that Darlene has cancer and was dying. She came to Ontario to place her dogs with a trusted friend and to meet, and say goodbye to people she has known for a long time. So what did Pilot teach me on that day? Darlene was his first owner and he flew across Canada to be with our family when he was only 12 weeks old. Pilot taught me that although life may change, you can adapt and even find a happy outcome. He also showed Darlene how much he loves his family and that was the best present she could have had because she knows that the little puppy that she used to have is well loved. Dogs may seem to be simple. I have learned though, that they are actually constantly thinking and reacting to their environment. Dogs have a language all of their own that they express by the way they move, stand and look. Having these remarkable animals in my life have provided reinforcement of what my parents and teachers have taught me. Be good to your family. Respect your elders and care and look out for those younger than you. Stand up to things that frighten you and keep your eyes up. Acknowledge those who are nice to you, it shows them you appreciate them. When life seems hopeless and you feel alone, always have hope because you may find just what you were waiting for if you don’t give up. Also, be kind to those in need. Put your best foot forward to give comfort and assurance to those who need it. All of this I learned by observing my dogs. John Grogan, a famous author said “Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.”. Thank you.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 16:49:08 +0000
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