Quote:
Originally posted by Twisterdog
Dogs aren't like people, in the fact that we can reason, understand and make a logical informed choice, with our eye on the future. If a person has cancer, they can understand the probable sucess rate of chemo vs. surgery vs. nothing, and make a choice based on quality and quantity of life. Dogs can't. They live almost 100% in the present - the past is very short and dim, and the future is practically nonexistent. The dog lying on his back in the sun is 100% THERE - in the sun, happy, warm. He's not regretting something he did yesterday, or worrying about something that might happen tomorrow. He just ... is. What a freeing, wonderful thing that would be ... to just ... be. If a dog lives 20 years or 4 weeks ... they don't know it. They have no concept of mortality, death, fairness or fate. They just ... are. It's all good to them, whether it is short in our eyes or not.
Twisterdog, that is so true. I wanted to tell Johanna the same thing but couldn't figure how to put it in a way that would be comforting to her.