A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. November's Theme: "Faith"
Volume 3 Issue 1 ISSN# 1708-3265

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A Wag of Faith

My big black Lab, Max, is an incredibly faithful, trusting dog. Not only that, he is decidedly good natured. He is the kind of dog who will fetch a ball forever at a time. When you finally beg to stop, he will sit next to you - as close as caninely possible - and pant through his big doggy grin. Then, as his outrageously huge tongue dangles from his mouth, he will drool on your shoulder and chest, just like the very best buddy he knows you are.

Max recently needed surgery on his neck. Because he is so trusting, he wagged his tail all the way to the Vet's. It seemed a great adventure, perhaps. Even when the Vet and her assistant probed the offending lump around his throat, Max wagged his tail. When the Vet recommended removing the lump that day, my daughter and I waved goodbye to Max and off he went, still wagging that tail, still so incredibly trusting of all that was unfolding. Six hours later, I stood waiting in the hallway. As the Vet led Max around the corner, I saw him see me, and his whole body shook as he wagged his sleepy self down the hallway. To watch that wagging tail was almost to think we never left.

What is it that makes so many dogs so faithful, so trusting of us - and, so trusting of life? When I put the question to Max, a few days later, he plopped down on the carpet at my feet and sighed, his big black stick of a tail thumping the floor.

"No comment?" I asked.

Well, you have to understand that Max is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy. He loves good food, chasing balls, playing tug of war and other simple things in life. Pondering deeply is not his forte.

To get more of an answer, I asked Spirit of Dog to share something on the subject of faith. Thus, began our short conversation:

"For dogs, faith is much a matter of trust. When the Spirit of Dog and the Spirit of Humanity first created a covenant to work together, to live together, trust - what you might call faith - was a large element of our plan. We trust that you will care for us, provide for us, be present with us, and allow us to help you in the ways in which we are called. You have come to trust that we will guide you, love you, play with you, work with you, protect you, and be with you throughout the day as the natural caretakers of energy we are. Thus we have forged an alliance of mutual trust: faith in one another. It is a unique relationship which has evolved over time and in different ways across the world.

"I speak in larger terms about this plan as an evolutionary agreement, though it is plainly seen in personal relationships as well. Every dog-human relationship is an alliance and derives from this original agreement. For every dog-human 'family', there is an element of faith and trust which bespeaks this original covenant. That is why it is such a breach of promise to maliciously hurt or neglect a dog (any animal, that is true, but we are speaking of our kind here). Or, equally, a breach of promise to train or encourage dogs to hurt people or otherwise go against this original plan of mutual trust.

"Did you know there is a Deva of the original Dog-Human alliance? You might think of this as an energetic caretaker who watches over this treaty. It is that energy Deva's 'job' to oversee all such relationships and, if necessary, bring corrective measures to the situation if the alliance is not upheld by both parties. For example, the increased awareness which is brought to 'animal rights' and the importance of animals in the world is a large-scale corrective measure for humanity; it allows you to move deeper into communion with the natural world and live more openly from your heart-center.

"No matter how hardened your human feelings, if you sit with a dog, you cannot help finding that your heart naturally opens. This is a 'built-in' promise between man and dog, one that is devised to allow you movement through hardened or stuck emotions which prevent you from seeing and feeling the larger fullness of who you are.

"Dogs show this on a continual basis throughout the world, through their love, devotion, dedication - and faith - that humans will come to see this as well, for in so many ways we offer reflections for you."

As I smiled and thanked Spirit of Dog, I looked over to Max. Still lying on the floor, he lifted his head and looked up at me. With another sigh, he shared: "I know you love me and I love you. I feel that because I live it every day and sense it every moment. I know you will never hurt me and that you care for me. I take care of you too. This is friendship. This is love. You may call it faith. For me, my heart tells me this is part of who I am."

And then, as if to reassure me that he really, truly, most certainly meant it, Max wagged his tail.

Dawn Baumann Brunke is the author of Animal Voices: Telepathic Communication in the Web of Life and Awakening to Animal Voices: A Teen Guide to Telepathic Communication with All Life. Both books explore the deeper nature of our relationship with animals, nature, each other and ourselves. For more, see Dawn's website.

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