Moment of the Journey

| Posted: 01-05-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 1 | Rating: (248)

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People have moments in life which cause reflection, insight, some sort of realization. I had one of those moments back in 1996 with the loss of my first Police Dog Reuben. His death shattered my world, I still think of him often. It was the moments we shared I think about, part of the journey.

One of those moments involved tracking suspects over ice covered fields stretching on for miles with me being pulled like a sleigh, my feet planted on the ice with Reuben pulling on the long line forward, following their trail. That moment of looking out across the icy plain, Reuben's body low, his feet and nails digging into the ice advancing, pulling me, that drive. The surreal ending, a Police helicoper circling overhead, snow swirling from the down draft, and Reuben advancing towards the suspects, the suspects now laying face down on the frozen ground, not moving. A dozen officers moving towards them. Reuben circling around them barking. Petting him off to the side, as if no one else was around, oblivious to everything else but us. In the moment together, celebrating.

Another moment involved a vehicle search for drugs, Reuben moving, squeezing his head under the steering area of the drivers side, his head turning to one side, and then his paw reaching going upwards, ripping the plastic fuse box covering right off, a plastic baggie dropping out onto the floor mat.....a baggie containing drugs. That moment was the turn of his head, cocking to one side before lifting the paw to tear open the fuse box concealing the drugs, like "Hey, what the..." , funny.

It was never the larger, almost gimme type of finds, always the ones I knew he, we, truly worked for. The track that went went on for miles, hours, whispering to him, attempting to inspire and motivate, moving him forward. The captures where you ended up looking as de shelved as the bad guys, you could tell they had crawled under the same fences and through the same dense brush, you didn't even need to ask their exact path. The next day waking up, your legs so sore you could barely move, at the time just in the moment. Hundreds and hundreds of hours spent together, working, deploying, training. True connection and harmony together. Then the moment you want to put out of your mind.

Reuben was at this prime back in 1996 just before he fell ill, he was only 5 years old. He already had the distinction, honor, of being the youngest Police Dog in Canada to make a drug find. During that period of his illness the realization that nothing could be done, getting worst, in constant pain, his strength of will shielding it. The decision to end his suffering. The look in his eyes, the inner strength, contradicted with what was happening with his body. He wanted to stay. I wanted him too. I broke down and sobbed in that moment. That terrible moment. I would give up all the distinctions and awards if only to have a few moments back with him now. Time offers a different perspective. I felt embarrassed to admit how painful it was to those around me.

Several years passed with another K-9 partner, another journey. I was never able to achieve that same connection, that same harmony. I knew that something was holding me back from moving forward, to becoming. Perhaps I didn't want to open up like that again, it was too painful and too soon. That type of connection. Looking back I realized I was really the pupil, the one aspiring to become, in true harmony with pack.

It was the moments.........the journey.

Author Dale McCluskey

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Article Tags: Dog Obedience, Police Dog

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About the Author:

I am the owner / trainer for Leader of the Pack Dog Training located in Clarksville Tennessee. I have numerous awards within the dog training field. I am currently advancing towards publication of a training manual titled "Unleashing the Power of Pack." based on these unique pack psychology methods.

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