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About 10 years ago my wife and I got two recues. A female greyhound and a male lurcher (who basically looked like a greyhound). My wife used to try to get our d

About 10 years ago my wife and I got two recues. A female greyhound and a male lurcher (who basically looked like a greyhound). My wife used to try to get our dogs to howl, because she thought it was funny. It turned into something they would do on command. Anyway, about 8 years ago my wife discovered the song "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon. At the appropriate parts of the song, she would command our dogs to "sing", and they'd both howl. Yes, hilarious. Anyway, about 7 years ago the greyhound got osteosarcoma, a painful bone cancer, and we had to put her to sleep. The lurcher was extremely lonely, so we rescued another greyhound. My wife didn't put the Werewolves song on again, because it made her feel sad. Fast forward about a year, and we're both in the house doing whatever, and I put on a playlist, not realising the song was in it. As soon as the first bar of the song played, the lurcher jumped up onto the armchair at our front window, frantically looking into the park out front, howled, and ran around the house "searching", presumably for Pasha. Tears, obviously. But also the realisation that a dog can recognise a song, years after last hearing it, in a sea of thousands of other songs. And within the first few seconds of it playing. Honestly, I was astonished.

Klonoar 5y ago
Beautiful story. I inadvertently trained my dog to recognize Frozen Creek by Circa Survive. Years later all it takes to calm him down is to play the opening to that song. I attribute it to a day or two where I had the album on repeatedly and and he wasn’t feeling well - pretty sure he just ate something he shouldn’t have - and he’d come lay in my lap and sleep.
arrow7000 5y ago
This was an emotional rollercoaster. But thank you for sharing.
tartoran 5y ago
That’s a bittersweet but beautiful story. I love dogs, they’re smarter than many give them credit. And adopting rescues is the nicest thing dog lovers can do
codecutter 5y ago
Beautiful story. I want my children to have a dog Or may be two or three They'll learn from them more easily Than they will learn from me. A dog will teach them how to love, And have no grudge or hate I'm not so good at that myself But a dog will do it straight I want my children to have a dog, To be their pal and friend So they may learn that friendship Is faithful to the end. There never yet has been a dog That learned to double cross Nor catered to you when you won Then dropped you when you lost.
- raffraffraff 5y ago
  Thank you. I stupidly tried to read this to my wife just now and ended up a blubbering wreck, because all of those dogs are now gone. The lurcher died of cancer 2 years ago, and Lily, the lovely old greyhound we got as his companion, died 2 months ago (14 years old, so no complaints) We're getting two rescues next month. Greyhounds again.
  - devchix 5y ago
    We've had 3 greyhounds, all died of cancer, two of bone cancer. Seems to be the curse of the greyhounds. It's lovely that you'll be adopting again. Tracks in the US have mostly closed, the waiting list for retired racers are long. UK and Ireland still have many retired racers, but the cost to transport them to the US is quite prohibitive. I quite envy you, and wish you much love with your new darlings. My most previous greyhound would play bite, which indicates to me he knew what a real bite does. On occasions I have said "ow ow" he would stop immediately and looked at me with surprise. I have also stepped on him or otherwise jostled him by accident, and I immediately and profusely said "sorry, sorry", and he would lick my hand as if he understood it was a mistake. Am I anthropomorphising the behavior? I've never doubted that dogs could differentiate what is intentional and unintentional.
    - sitkack 5y ago
      I love watching human dog behavior from a distance. The moment when a human steps on a dog and then turns around to address the dog and provide comfort is like predictable poetry. It isn't just that dogs know when it was a mistake or not, they do, they also want the apology. Apologies are always key, even if predictable.
Wistar 5y ago
Nowhere near as moving a story but, back when my spouse used a Windows laptop, every night she'd logout from Windows and the little signature Windows sign out tune would play, and then she'd call our two dogs to their crates for the night. Over time, our two dogs, upon hearing the Windows log off sound, would immediately jump up and go to their crates. I bought her a Mac, and the Windows sound ritual ceased. A couple of years later, I found a youtube video compilation of every Windows signature sound and I played it. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, the moment that specific log out tune played, the two dogs leapt up and went to their crates.
- bodge5000 5y ago
  Somewhat similar to how dogs can recognise sound, our dog has a metal water bowl and she's learnt that picking it up with her mouth and throwing it to the floor creates a distinctive clanging sound. So now, whenever she wants water (even if it happens to be 3am), she'll throw her bowl across the room
- feintruled 5y ago
  My phone has a distinct notification sound for Life360, plays for people coming home. GPS being a little inexact on the app it consistently plays too early. My dog has come to recognise this sound, allowing him to be ready and waiting at the window for whoever it is. (I wonder what he thinks this magical sound IS, but I guess the answer is he does not think, he just accepts. Dogs are have a wonderful lack of introspective angst, they just take the world as they find it.)
- animal531 5y ago
  My mom trained me the same way, but to wake up. She would make a pspspsp sound (like you'd generally make for a cat) when entering my room. I was (and still am) a really heavy sleeper, but it would wake me up instantly.
  - UncleEntity 5y ago
    When I used to want to wake up the ex I'd just say "order up" and she'd jump up from deep sleep, it was hilariously magical...
sizzle 5y ago
After growing up and loving dogs all my life I don’t think I can have another. The end tail is just too sad seeing them deteriorate and eventually be put to rest and it just guts me so badly. 10ish years is simply not long enough of a lifespan and it feels cruel growing so attached then having to say goodbye to a family member again and again like deja vu after the 3rd dog I had and loved (German Shepards and Pitbull rescue) Rest In Peace my old best friends, you’ll never be forgotten.
- sojournerc 5y ago
  My mom used to say watching a dog's life is like seeing a condensed version of our own journeys. Through infancy and adolescence into old age. You're right to say it's hard, but so is life. The companionship is worth the grief for me.
  - raffraffraff 5y ago
    Same. But the real reason why were getting two more is that we have space in our homes and our hearts for two dogs, and the dog rescues are overflowing. We choose greyhounds because the the racing industry is horrible and the dogs get treated like shit. As long as dogs need homes and we are able to provide one, we'll have dogs.
- tenaciousDaniel 5y ago
  I never miss an opportunity to share this eulogy I found a few years back, written way back in the 19th century: https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/MDH/EulogyoftheDog.pdf https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/MDH/EulogyoftheDog.pdf
  - sizzle 5y ago
    This is beautiful, thanks for sharing.
- nickysielicki 5y ago
  Your dogs will have been born anyway, the only difference is that you won't get to know him and he won't get to know you. It's just as sad either way. Don't rob yourself of being in their life and having them in your life.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
robertwt7 5y ago
I just got a puppy 3 weeks ago and I almost cried reading this. Dogs are amazing

Klonoar 5y ago

Beautiful story. I inadvertently trained my dog to recognize Frozen Creek by Circa Survive. Years later all it takes to calm him down is to play the opening to that song. I attribute it to a day or two where I had the album on repeatedly and and he wasn’t feeling well - pretty sure he just ate something he shouldn’t have - and he’d come lay in my lap and sleep.

arrow7000 5y ago

This was an emotional rollercoaster. But thank you for sharing.

tartoran 5y ago

That’s a bittersweet but beautiful story. I love dogs, they’re smarter than many give them credit. And adopting rescues is the nicest thing dog lovers can do

codecutter 5y ago

Beautiful story. I want my children to have a dog Or may be two or three They'll learn from them more easily Than they will learn from me. A dog will teach them how to love, And have no grudge or hate I'm not so good at that myself But a dog will do it straight I want my children to have a dog, To be their pal and friend So they may learn that friendship Is faithful to the end. There never yet has been a dog That learned to double cross Nor catered to you when you won Then dropped you when you lost.

raffraffraff 5y ago
Thank you. I stupidly tried to read this to my wife just now and ended up a blubbering wreck, because all of those dogs are now gone. The lurcher died of cancer 2 years ago, and Lily, the lovely old greyhound we got as his companion, died 2 months ago (14 years old, so no complaints) We're getting two rescues next month. Greyhounds again.
- devchix 5y ago
  We've had 3 greyhounds, all died of cancer, two of bone cancer. Seems to be the curse of the greyhounds. It's lovely that you'll be adopting again. Tracks in the US have mostly closed, the waiting list for retired racers are long. UK and Ireland still have many retired racers, but the cost to transport them to the US is quite prohibitive. I quite envy you, and wish you much love with your new darlings. My most previous greyhound would play bite, which indicates to me he knew what a real bite does. On occasions I have said "ow ow" he would stop immediately and looked at me with surprise. I have also stepped on him or otherwise jostled him by accident, and I immediately and profusely said "sorry, sorry", and he would lick my hand as if he understood it was a mistake. Am I anthropomorphising the behavior? I've never doubted that dogs could differentiate what is intentional and unintentional.
  - sitkack 5y ago
    I love watching human dog behavior from a distance. The moment when a human steps on a dog and then turns around to address the dog and provide comfort is like predictable poetry. It isn't just that dogs know when it was a mistake or not, they do, they also want the apology. Apologies are always key, even if predictable.

Wistar 5y ago

Nowhere near as moving a story but, back when my spouse used a Windows laptop, every night she'd logout from Windows and the little signature Windows sign out tune would play, and then she'd call our two dogs to their crates for the night. Over time, our two dogs, upon hearing the Windows log off sound, would immediately jump up and go to their crates. I bought her a Mac, and the Windows sound ritual ceased. A couple of years later, I found a youtube video compilation of every Windows signature sound and I played it. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, the moment that specific log out tune played, the two dogs leapt up and went to their crates.

bodge5000 5y ago
Somewhat similar to how dogs can recognise sound, our dog has a metal water bowl and she's learnt that picking it up with her mouth and throwing it to the floor creates a distinctive clanging sound. So now, whenever she wants water (even if it happens to be 3am), she'll throw her bowl across the room
feintruled 5y ago
My phone has a distinct notification sound for Life360, plays for people coming home. GPS being a little inexact on the app it consistently plays too early. My dog has come to recognise this sound, allowing him to be ready and waiting at the window for whoever it is. (I wonder what he thinks this magical sound IS, but I guess the answer is he does not think, he just accepts. Dogs are have a wonderful lack of introspective angst, they just take the world as they find it.)
animal531 5y ago
My mom trained me the same way, but to wake up. She would make a pspspsp sound (like you'd generally make for a cat) when entering my room. I was (and still am) a really heavy sleeper, but it would wake me up instantly.
- UncleEntity 5y ago
  When I used to want to wake up the ex I'd just say "order up" and she'd jump up from deep sleep, it was hilariously magical...

sizzle 5y ago

After growing up and loving dogs all my life I don’t think I can have another. The end tail is just too sad seeing them deteriorate and eventually be put to rest and it just guts me so badly. 10ish years is simply not long enough of a lifespan and it feels cruel growing so attached then having to say goodbye to a family member again and again like deja vu after the 3rd dog I had and loved (German Shepards and Pitbull rescue) Rest In Peace my old best friends, you’ll never be forgotten.

sojournerc 5y ago
My mom used to say watching a dog's life is like seeing a condensed version of our own journeys. Through infancy and adolescence into old age. You're right to say it's hard, but so is life. The companionship is worth the grief for me.
- raffraffraff 5y ago
  Same. But the real reason why were getting two more is that we have space in our homes and our hearts for two dogs, and the dog rescues are overflowing. We choose greyhounds because the the racing industry is horrible and the dogs get treated like shit. As long as dogs need homes and we are able to provide one, we'll have dogs.
tenaciousDaniel 5y ago
I never miss an opportunity to share this eulogy I found a few years back, written way back in the 19th century: https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/MDH/EulogyoftheDog.pdf https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/MDH/EulogyoftheDog.pdf
- sizzle 5y ago
  This is beautiful, thanks for sharing.
nickysielicki 5y ago
Your dogs will have been born anyway, the only difference is that you won't get to know him and he won't get to know you. It's just as sad either way. Don't rob yourself of being in their life and having them in your life.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

robertwt7 5y ago

I just got a puppy 3 weeks ago and I almost cried reading this. Dogs are amazing