National Hug Your Dog Day.

 National Hug Your Dog Day

Now it is that spring is here and nature has awoken to its sweetest melodies, this may be time to acknowledge man and woman's best friend. We spend a great deal of time singing the praises of our dogs and it's no coincidence that today is National Hug Your Dog Day undoubtedly. Besides, dogs have formed such a close and companionable bond with the human race throughout history that it would be easy to take them for granted. 

Every morning we get out of our beds and there they are patiently waiting for us by the front door or just wandering around our homes, anticipating their breakfast with a presumptuous air, almost expecting to be fed and watered because they love us unconditionally and the feelings are definitely mutual. How often do we look at our dogs in the morning and think how privileged we are to have in our possession an animal that really does understand our capricious moods, our innermost emotions and our everyday behaviour? 

And so it is that my wife Bev and I greet our dog Barney, a poma poo with the warmest of receptions, our adorable canine who is now the grand old age of three. When he first joined our family he was just a tiny package, a black ball of fur no larger than the average matchbox and utterly terrified quite naturally. Poor Barney must have thought he was in the most alien environment he'd ever known and nobody could sympathise with his predicament because he'd suddenly found himself in a frightening world that didn't really make any sense. 

Of course we offered him a home, compassionate human parents oozing affection, acceptance, delight and a home where everything was safe, secure and nurturing. We all know about the therapeutic value of welcoming our dog friends into our homes because we've been doing it since time immemorial. Dogs keep us mentally alert, wonderfully calming influences when things go wrong and just there when we need them. They offer comfort and solace in our darkest days then immediately switch a radiant, beaming light on us when the problem has been rectified and it's a fabulous life and you're on top of the world. 

So what is it about dogs that have such a transformative effect on our everyday lives, how do they know when we're down and depressed, anxious and agitated. There has to be something about our body language that transmits itself to our dogs and just responds in a crisis. The truth is that Barney is completely and emotionally involved and attached to our family at all times. He looks at us in a way that speaks a thousand stories, knowing, wise, attentive and responsive at all times. He then turns on his still puppy eyes and tells you that he knows what's going on in your crowded and congested minds. 

The truth is that our Barney sits and then lies down on my lap quite comfortably and shares toast and jam or cereal for breakfast. He knows you've just woken up in the morning and you're not as alert and quick witted as perhaps you should be. He knows that you need his company because he'll never be judgemental or critical. He'll be there as a completely neutral presence, a model of impartiality, a lovely friend of the family who just wants to support you, believe in you all the way, trusting your instincts and offering silent guidance while just staring into your eyes with a tenderness that can't be defined.

And then we take Barney for invigorating walks in the spring sunshine, venturing out into the streets and roads before heading for parks, wetlands, bushes and trees which just happen to be his favourite hunting grounds. Barney will gingerly tread towards where he wants to be, tugging on his lead and then dutifully trotting along with us with a comfortable spring in his step. He may just be seeking a place for doing what comes naturally to all humans or just marking his territory. He'll sniff scents in bushes with that gloriously inquisitive nose but then proceed in an orderly fashion. 

Over the centuries, dogs have always hunted in packs and run across vast tracts of land blissfully content to be with their closest friends, family and the increasing numbers of dog walkers. But essentially Barney is our game changer, the catalyst for positive activities in our lives. We may not realise it at the time but Barney clears our minds, influencing all the time our immediate responses and reactions to any given moment in our day. He is a morale booster because he needs us and we need them. Dogs need our undivided attention and we need them because they've never let us down or disappointed us.

And so we come to today. Today is National Hug Your Dog Day. Of course it is Everybody knows that and so do we all. It is a day for expressing our complete adoration for our doggie friends, for telling them that they are the greatest creatures on Earth. They are the animals who came to our rescue in dire moments of emergency or crisis, licking us to pieces, approving of everything we do. They offered us protection from hurt and pain, stretching out their loving paws with full on reassurance.

Barney has now been with our family for three years and during that time he's been a blessing, nuisance, stubborn, childish at times, outstandingly co-operative and just a good, old fashioned dog. At times Barney has been a pain in the proverbial neck since he is not one to go out for a walk without a fight or an annoying refusal to do so. Barney will, quite amusingly, hide behind clothes horses or chairs and tables, obstinate and consistently intransigent before growling, snapping and baring his teeth in defiance. 

For me the very act of owning a dog is something of a revelation. But now that Barney has settled in, he is the perfect extension to our family unit. We are a family of dogs and long should that be the case. Barney must privately know that when we do go out for a walk, he knows instinctively that his canine acquaintances will be out and about, running after tennis balls their owners have kindly thrown for them, gathering around in a circle with other dogs and sharing mutual pleasantries. 

There is something very uplifting and stimulating about a dog's presence that remains a constant source of wonder. Why though do they sit on the tops of sofas or armchairs, casually lolling around our homes,  simply snoozing and sleeping the day quite contentedly without a care in the world. Initially, Barney had terrible separation issues and whimpered the day away like some lost and heartbroken dog who'd been deserted by everybody. But we'll never stop loving our Barney.

For days, months and weeks, Barney would start crying poignantly because there was nobody in our home to look after him at such a critical time in his puppy life. He was scared, petrified even, nervous in isolation and just longing for a hug. And so it is Ladies and Gentlemen that we National Hug Your Dog Day, a day of cuddling your dog and for conveying quite clearly all of those signals of understanding, appreciation and sitting next to him during another evening of watching Crufts dog show for the umpteenth time. 

And then on Sunday morning you might head for the local forest or idyllic piece of woodland where your dog is at its liveliest and happiest. You'll have a handful of sticks and bones and you'll know what he's thinking and they feel much the same. Your dog loves the outdoors and will break into a tentative jog into thick marshlands, muddy patches of grass and sprint for their lives. They'll stop for a while with a contemplative stroll around a duck pond and several upstanding geese, sizing up their next move and then running after the aforesaid birds, shooing them back into the water and then looking very satisfied into the bargain. 

But essentially dogs are ideal alarm clocks in the morning, jumping onto our beds excitedly at the crack of dawn before even the robins have had time to yawn and tweet. There they are again, bounding around the kitchen downstairs, darting around the living room in the most playful fashion before leaping up the stairs and begging for somebody to play with their toys and games. You may be still fast asleep at six o'clock in the morning but your dog wants to play catch the ball immediately. 

So go on let's hug your dog, make it feel as deeply important as royalty. Your dog is a dog for life, to provide you with emotional assistance, to feed in the morning, taking priority in your breakfast arrangements since your dog is starving and famished and needs to eat here and now. Your dog wants to be friendly with the whole of humanity, reaching out with their paws and making a fuss of you. Never underestimate your dog because they are your assistance dog and a dog for ever more. Barney is an integral part of family life and that's official. Hug your Dog and spoil your dog something rotten. They're always there for you permanently. We love you Barney.