Things I Wish I Had Learned From My Dog And Didn't...
And Other Lessons In Life

By Robin M. Smith, DVM

I feel so helpless sometimes as I sit next to Ranger and want to tell him that everything will be okay... but I know that is won't... he is getting older and his back is bothering him more and more each day. I wish I could make him all better... oh, he doesn't know how I wish I could.

Ranger is the love of my life... no, he is not a burly blue-eyed man, but a 175 lb. Fawn mastiff who has captured my heart like no other human being or non-human being could have ever done. I can even tell you the day it happened... back in august of 1992... the day he was born. I was a veterinarian and my best friend was having her first mastiff litter so I was at her house ready for the worst... and we had a lot of trials and tribulations... but I will not go into them now...

Being a veterinarian, I like to write articles on the medical aspects of taking care of our mastiffs...but, as I sat down to try and write a medical article this time, Ranger was sitting next to me and I felt that I needed to just write about how wonderful our relationships with our dogs can be.... especially the mastiff. I hope I don't disappoint any of you that were expecting some type of medical article, but I know that you will understand. I am facing the time that my own mastiff is getting older and I know that he will not be with me forever, no matter how much I pray.

I also am just getting off of a long shift at work in the emergency hospital where I had to euthanized a few pets that were getting old and where the owners were so attached...attached and emotional enough that I even had to shed a few tears even though I had only met them.

So, I guess I am writing to let everyone know that it is okay to hurt and feel a terrible loss when you lose one of your mastiffs. Many people think because I am a veterinarian that I must be able to deal with it so easily. Well, that is not true. I love my mastiff, Ranger, whom many of you have met or at least have felt like you have met him because he is all I talk about. And I do not know how I will ever deal with his loss, so I do not think about it. But, I truly want to relate to all of you who have gone through the loss of a dear friend.

Society sometimes shuns people who are "animal people" and who buy their pets presents and talk "doggy talk"... or "can't go out with the gang because our dog is sick"..... these people do not understand the bond that we have with our dogs...and never will.

As a veterinarian, I have seen most breeds of dogs and I can tell you without a doubt that the mastiff is the best and most wonderful breed I have ever met. But again, I am prejudiced in that I have Ranger. He is perfect to me, at least. Even though he ate 3 remote controls, he was perfect. Even though he moans when I leave him alone, he is perfect. Even if he won't eat his supper unless it has chicken soup on it, well...he is perfect...you know what I mean. I would die for my dog....... and I am not crazy... it is that I am owned by a mastiff.

So, I can truly say that I have learned many of life's lessons from Ranger. To name a few:

1. I have learned that you can make people believe that the "texture" of your walls is a cool trendy thing...they don't have to know that it is dried mastiff drool.
2. I have learned that I didn't learn a thing about mastiffs in veterinary school. I learned all my mastiff medicine from mastiffs themselves.
3. I have learned that it is okay as a veterinarian to say that I don't know what is wrong with a pet...because I can just pretend it is "my dog", Ranger, and I will always do my best.
4. I have learned that it is okay to make mistakes, even though my mistakes usually don't need a mop to clean up...although sometimes I wish it were that easy.
5. I have learned it is okay to sleep with someone that hogs the covers.
6. On the issue of sleeping, I have learned to tolerate snoring.
7. I have learned to be tolerant things that used to make me mad...like, getting stuck in traffic or in a long line, because we are only on this earth for a short time and we should be thankful we are even here at all.
8. I have learned that the bond between a pet and a person is the most undeniably strongest bond I have ever seen.
9. I have learned that I can trust my mastiff, and that he can truly trust me…it is not something learned, it is a given.
10. I have learned that no matter how hard life can be at times, we should be happy that we have our mastiff friends, and they can get us through anything.

I deal with people and their pets everyday. I have to deal with some horrifying diseases and some horrible consequences. But, because Ranger is there with me at work, I can go back and give him a hug and he gives me strength, strength that I never realized I had. Ranger is my "rock". He is not just a dog. He is my friend. I tell Ranger everything and he listens without judgement. Oh, sure, I have to give him a bone sometimes, or give him something special... but even if I didn't Ranger would be there for me.

Most of the time we hear about others mastiffs after they have passed away. I wanted to let everyone know about Ranger while he is still with me. I can not even express how much he means to me. I hear everyday at work things like... "well, if it were your dog, what would you do?" and I hate that question. Would I put Ranger through some of the painful procedures, and diagnostics that I advise for other peoples' pets? I don't know... It is a difficult situation.

Just about two months ago, Ranger started urinating blood... that scared me. I knew he had a retained testicle and I knew that he had a prostate infection. I had always hesitated to neuter him because I knew that I would have to open him up in the abdomen and that would be so painful. But, I just decided I had to do it. I performed surgery on him and after he was waking up, he just looked at me, like he was asking how come he hurt so much. He recovered fine but it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. While he was under anesthesia, I pretended it was not my dog. But it was scary. So, I do know how you all feel when you need to leave your mastiff at the veterinarians office or have a procedure done... it is scary.

Ranger is my life. So, I do know how you feel about your mastiffs. One day he will not be here... I will live and I will continue my life... but it will never be the same. I will always have mastiffs, but my first mastiff, Ranger, will always be the best.

Robin M. Smith, DVM
Westminster Veterinary Emergency/Trauma Center
269 W. Main St., Westminster, MD 21557
Work 410-848-3363
(Fax) 410-848-4959
E-mail: RocknRob56@aol.com

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