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From dog hater to dog lover, by Bernadette Fairbairn
Are you a dog lover, a dog hater, or indifferent to the whole dog thing?

I was, and I hasten to add 'was', a dog hater. Maybe 'hater' is too harsh a word. It was more like a dog-scaredy-catter. I was fearful of their teeth, frightened of their barks, and felt the whole dog thing too smelly and hairy to have near me.

My aversion to dogs was handed down from my Mum. God bless her, she is the sweetest person, with no hate in her heart at all. But for some reason, anything that has more than two legs brings her out in a fit of fear and loathing. From the tiniest spider to the cuddliest cat, nothing is spared from my mother's 'all creatures, great and small' phobia. (I think it all began for her when a dog lifted it's leg and did a wee on her when she was a small girl. She was sitting on the beach in a little green coat when the dog came by, obviously looking for a convenient tree. And to this day, my Mum will not wear a green coat.)

So as a young child I picked up all her irrational and 'unhygienic' fears. My brothers and I had no contact with animals of any sort, and whenever we were presented with a chance to stand close to or even, heavens above, pet a small pet, we'd run and hide behind Mama's skirts.

Needless to say, my dear old Dad had an almost impossible task trying to get us in to the countryside, or back garden. Insects were obviously a big issue with us, as well as anything that crawled or squirmed. Picnics were always great fun, but consisted of having our sandwiches and juice inside the car, while looking out the window.

As I ventured in to teen-hood nothing much changed. I couldn't understand the attraction of a dog, cat or any other sort of pet.

But, thank God, life has a way of changing things for the good, and sometimes in the most extraordinary ways. I met a young man by the name of Richard who absolutely adored wildlife. When love comes into an equation, everything the other person says or does is wonderful, totally absorbing, and glorious. So when he first took me for a walk along a country path I was very excited. But the same old fears came running back to me and soon I was freaking out over bumblebees, passing dogs, and mud.

But like most phobias, the more you are exposed to the thing that you are frightened of, the less frightened you become. Your brain rewires itself, and the fear decreases.

So as time passed I became less of a dork and more of a normal person concerning the outdoor life and animals. What I hadn't expected was to become an owner of an 8-week-old German Shepherd pup. If someone had told me that a handsome, strong, loving, and protective dog was to become my soul mate, I would have laughed. But that is exactly what happened.

When I think back to the moment I saw our 'Laddie' I remember a small ball of black fluff come scampering towards us from across the carpeted room. At that time, I was still pretty freakish, so I assumed I was going to get nipped. So I stood stock-still. And was sweetly surprised when all the wee pup did was sniff my shoes and run off.

Richard said, "Just put your hand out, and let him sniff it." And thus began my introduction to the love of dog.

I found it amazing how Laddie and I bonded. The first few weeks were difficult, as he was a pooping, weeing bundle of hair, but like most things, you just get on with what needs to be done and don't think too deeply about what you are actually doing. I trained him daily, we played mostly all the time, and whenever I sat down he fell asleep on my feet. He became my constant companion, my shadow. And I loved him beyond words.

Of course, things became more intense when 2 years later we found out that our Laddie had a condition called megaoesophagus.

For a detailed explanation of this condition please click on the link below:
http://www.gsdhelpline.com/megaoesophagus.htm

But once diagnosed we were able to help him live a healthy, active and happy life. The seven years we had with our Laddie were just the best. And there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him, and miss him.

So it just goes to show that people can change, if they want to enough, and enjoy all that life has to offer. And I certainly was very bless to have had Laddie in my life, who not only gave me the unconditional love and companionship a dog always offers, but showed me just how much love I had in my heart.

Bernadette Fairbairn

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