As I sit at my desk writing, two intelligent canine eyes are fixed intently on my every move. If I slide back my chair as if to rise, he lifts his head. If I stand, he stands. If I walk, he follows. Such is life with this black lab who is my Christmas guest, staying with us while his family is away.
Buckley was born to be a service dog for NEADS World Class Service Dogs but like nearly half of those so bred, he didn’t quite make the cut and was offered for adoption. He is now the most extraordinary pet and unlike any dog I’ve ever spent time with. Many of his behaviors hint at his origin story, but none so obviously as his propensity to stare at my face. This dog is ALWAYS looking at me, awaiting instruction or command or just to see if I might speak to him – he doesn’t want to miss it. His attentiveness would be unnerving if he weren’t so adorable.
He remembers several skills from his service dog training, from the basic (“sit,” “down”) to the advanced (“leave it,” “speak!”) and even the fabulously convenient “better go now,” which makes him pee on command. We’ve already used this one several times to maximize the efficiency of a rainy walk. Every dog owner knows the misery of plodding through snow, rain, or frigid temperatures while waiting endlessly for the dog to do its business. Walking Buckley requires no such patience. He’s a finely tuned machine – there’s no other way to describe him.
I know from my experience volunteering for NEADS that Buckley’s life has been charmed from the get-go. He was bred from parents and grandparents with gold star temperaments and was treated as valuable and precious from the day he was born. He has only ever been handled by and spent time with people who knew what they were doing, dog-wise, and had the resources to do it. He’s eaten only the best quality food and treats. He’s never been yelled at or left outside too long or had a medical need ignored. He is the dog equivalent of the only son in a patriarchal monarchy except he doesn’t act spoiled.
Buckley’s charmed life didn’t end when his service dog training ceased and he became a “furloughed favorite,” sent to spend the rest of his days with a lucky family. When they dropped him off at our house with his food, bed, and instructions, we were also given a present, so he’d have something special on Christmas morning. It’s wrapped. In wrapping paper with little Christmassy dogs on it.
Despite all this pampering, those inner qualities that make all dogs lovable are alive and well in Buckley. He loves his toys and his blanket and thrives on human attention. Wet sloppy kisses are generously given. If mealtime is approaching (but still 30 minutes away), he gives us that look.
Our household has been dog-less now for 6 months since we said goodbye to our 14-yr old darling hound mix, so Buckley is a very welcome presence. We’ve slipped up and called him Mitch only once, which was heartbreaking, but we quickly recovered because who can be sad when a dog is looking at you expectantly, wagging his tail and holding his toy? Dogs understand how to be 100% present and live in the moment. We’re going to stay right there with him.
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