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    Love For & From My 4-Legged Son: How an ordinary golden retriever became an extraordinary dog
    Love For & From My 4-Legged Son: How an ordinary golden retriever became an extraordinary dog
    Love For & From My 4-Legged Son: How an ordinary golden retriever became an extraordinary dog
    Ebook161 pages1 hour

    Love For & From My 4-Legged Son: How an ordinary golden retriever became an extraordinary dog

    By Michael N. Marcus

    ()

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    About this ebook

    This is the story of the amazing Hunter J. Marcus (my "four-legged son"). Hunter lived for 15 years and three months. He was a golden retriever and the typical lifespan for a "golden" is 10-12 years, so he definitely had high mileage. His death was not sudden, violent nor unexpected--but was nonetheless very sad.

    I could not be more miserable because of the loss of a human child.
    I never thought of Hunter as a pet, and certainly not as a possession. He was a housemate, playmate, child, co-conspirator, fellow traveler and--most of all--my best buddy. He soared like an eagle, swam like a porpoise, ate like a shark and often thought like a human.

    Hunter understood dozens of English words and was very obedient--when he chose to be. Golden retrievers are very smart, and very independent. Hunter always knew exactly what he was supposed to do in any situation, and sometimes he was willing to do what he was supposed to do. We rewarded bad behavior because anything a dog does is cute!

    This book is a memorial, but it's fun, not morbid.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublishereBookIt.com
    Release dateApr 13, 2017
    ISBN9780998883502
    Love For & From My 4-Legged Son: How an ordinary golden retriever became an extraordinary dog

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      Book preview

      Love For & From My 4-Legged Son - Michael N. Marcus

      Preface

      How does a dog become extraordinary?

      I am convinced that every human being is born with a unique set of abilities. So is every dog.

      Humans who excel at singing, swimming, painting, acting, cooking, running, writing, inventing or telling jokes can probably find an audience and be rewarded.

      On our human-dominated planet, however, it’s not that way for dogs. There’s no way for an extremely talented pooch to enter athletic competitions, star in a TV show or be the subject of a book without the help of a caring human partner.

      Most creatures more advanced than an insect have the potential to excel—to become extraordinary. But they require support of human allies to reach their full potentials, even if the human wants a dog who’s friendly but not necessarily worthy of fame.

      How do you show love to a dog?

      It’s not much different from people. Dogs appreciate kind words (even if they don’t understand the words), embraces, kisses, rubs, toys, games, adventures, new experiences, care, comfort, safety, cleanliness and food. Especially food.

      We must be observant, analytical, stimulating, supportive, encouraging, educational and available.

      If you are all of that, your dog will excel and thrive, and your love will be returned many times over.

      How does a dog show love?

      Kisses, hugs, holding hands, compassion, protection, help, doing tricks, maybe even sharing food.

      MNM

      Important Questions

      Q: Why do dogs lick themselves?

      A: Because they can.

      Q: Why can’t dogs dance well?

      A: Because they have two left feet.

      Q: How do you catch a runaway dog?

      A: Make a noise like a cookie.

      Q: What breed of dog does Dracula have?

      A: A bloodhound

      Q: What goes tick-tock, bow-wow, tick-tock, bow-wow?

      A: A watch dog

      Q: Why does a dog wag its tail?

      A: Because no one else will wag it.

      Q: Why did the dog cross the road twice?

      A: He was trying to fetch a boomerang.

      Q. How do you keep a dog from barking in the back seat of a car?

      A. Put it in a front seat.

      Q: What does a puppy become after it’s one year old?

      A: Two years old

      Q: What do you get when you breed a dog and a calculator?

      A: A friend you can count on

      Introduction

      Hunter J. Marcus (my four-legged son) lived for fifteen years and three months. He was a golden retriever and the typical lifespan for a golden is ten to twelve years, so he definitely had high mileage.

      His death was not violent, sudden nor unexpected—but was nonetheless tragic.

      I could not be more miserable because of the loss of a human child.

      I never thought of Hunter as a pet, and certainly not as a possession. He was a housemate, child, playmate, co-conspirator, fellow traveler, and—most of all—my best buddy.

      I used to say that Hunter soared like an eagle, swam like a porpoise, ate like a shark and often thought like a human.

      However, Hunter did not win any ribbons or trophies. He was not a superstar. He had no special training. As a baby he was not chosen because of his famous parents. He was not a great runner, jumper, fetcher or even a great hunter.

      He could, however, climb a ladder, slide down a slide, count, and read The New York Times upside-down!

      Hunter understood dozens of English words and was very obedient—when he chose to be.

      Golden retrievers are very smart, and very independent. Hunter knew exactly what he was supposed to do in any situation—and sometimes he was willing to do what he was supposed to do.

      Some might say he was obstinate. I prefer to say he was a free-thinker. He could sometimes be controlled by a leash, but he never responded to begging, negotiating or arguing. The most effective motivator was food. Hunter understood rewards and trades.

      I did not name him Hunter—his first human family did that—and I did not want to confuse him with a name change. I’m a peaceable person. I don’t hunt or like guns but it did not bother me to live with a Hunter.

      Hunter’s middle initial does not represent a middle name. It’s an homage to my maternal grandfather, Dr. Jay N. Jacobs. He had no middle name but Grandma Del thought a middle initial made his business cards more impressive.

      I used to explain Hunter’s name by saying that he hunts for food and friends and anyone who gives him food instantly becomes a friend. Some dogs and people are very picky eaters but Hunter never rejected a meal or a snack. (Fortunately he never ate a dead bird or a poopsicle.)

      In most ways Hunter was a very ordinary dog. But an ordinary dog can be extraordinary. Genes are important, but, as with people, a dog’s family can make a big difference.

      When a canine joins a Homo Sapiens family the dog brings millennia of evolution with it. Its personality and abilities reflect countless generations of earlier animals.

      But still, in many ways a pup is a blank slate (tabula rasa in Latin). A dog can be taught a lot, and can even become self-taught (autodidactic).

      A dog’s amazing senses allow it to observe and analyze the creatures she or he lives with. Your pooch may decide to copy some human rituals, and can learn the meaning of and the proper response to words that you never tried to teach. (Hunter figured out that excuse me means please get out of my way.)

      A dog may learn to do tricks even without repetition or the reinforcement provided to Pavlov’s dogs.

      In Time magazine, Justin Worland wrote: Neurology research has shown that mammals possess the same brain chemicals that give humans self-awareness. Behavioral studies have demonstrated that some species experience social relations previously not understood.

      When I was a teenager our home was shared with Sniffer, a cocker spaniel-golden retriever mix. Sniffy (his nickname) was smart, observant and highly anthropomorphic. He copied human activities and may have even thought he was human.

      Sniffy had learned to slap when play-fighting with human beings. When he got into a fight with

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