Very strange - do you believe it ??? (LONG)

[+Desert_Warrior]

I would appreciate honest thoughts on this....

 

Note: Some Background. Dogs are an important part of my life. We train them for therapy work, all of our dogs work. Some are show dogs. My current dog (Parker) has an AKC title in obedience, we did it together. He earned the title dispite my mistakes in the ring. We have 4 Great Danes right now. Before this, I had a yellow lab (Max) that died two weeks before Parker was born. I didn't want another dog, but over time Parker wormed his way into my heart. Parker was still-born at 0200, and we did CPR to save him. He died again at 10 weeks on the operating table of the vet's office, and she saved him. And he caught PARVO at 13 weeks, but fought it off. I did his IVs and medication injections. I had some training in the army for that. Over time and through a series of mishaps, he was weeded out of the show ring and became my dog. He should be named LUCKY I think. Now for the story.

 

This occured this last weekend while I was checking on two of my caches in the area around the Franklin Mountain state Park. This will be one of the last hikes I take Parker on for the summer. If you look at my avatar, you will see why. A black dog in the HOT West Texas summer sun... he would overheat.

 

While resting in a stand of cottonwood trees near a natural spring we were approached by a native indian woman. Yes, you can tell. Usually Parker alerts when strangers approach. This time he wagged his tail and seemed happy to see her. I mentioned this, and she said she can communicate with animals and told him she was not a threat to us.

 

She pet him for a bit, rubbing his ears. He seemed to love it. Then she looked at me and said "You are a very lucky man. This dog loves you and has been you dog for a long time." I told her we have been together for 2.5 years, and he was 3 years old. She said "No, it is more than that. He has been your dog for a longer time than that. He died as a puppy, but fought his way back to be with you. Before this, he was another dog, smaller and light brown."

 

I WAS SHOCKED! She COULDN'T know this! But it is all true!!!

 

Then she said "You are one of the lucky few. When he leaves this body in time, he will return to you again. You only need to wait, he will find you."

 

I had tears in my eyes then. I still miss Max. My dogs are more than dogs to me, they are companions, partners. I had often thought that Parker was a lot like Max in many ways.

 

Her last words were "He really likes hiking with you, but he enjoys the mental challenge of his training more."

 

Again, how could she know we train to mental discipline of obedience and not the conformation ring?

 

She started up the trail, and Parker nudged me as if to say it was all real. I don't know what to think. There is NO WAY she could have known any of this. And I have often thought that Parker acts a lot like Max. But I just don't know.

 

I am not making this up people. I swear, it happened! If anything, it has made me and Parker a bit closer. My wife and daughter both believe it.

 

What do you think?

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

[+Jamie Z]

My thought? Wacko.

 

Good story though. That woman could make a fair living doing readings for tourists.

 

Jamie

[+Terrapin Flyer]

Great story! We have yet to unlock the boundaries of our abilities or our spirituality. That being said, I believe you're a lucky man, for the experience and for your relationships with your furry friends.

 

Usual Suspects - Terrapin & Bug

"Sure don't know what I'm goin' for, but I'm gonna go for it for sure!"

[+Kouros]

I was half expecting the woman to ask you to lay her hand with a ten dollar note at the end of the story.

 

A part of me wants to believe it - and why not? We're all a little sentimental.

 

------

An it harm none, do what ye will

[Jamethiel]

I'd believe it. Of course, I was a professional palm reader and Tarot reader for 4 years also. I once did a reading for a woman and out of no where- literally, (she walked into the store, sat down, I touched her hand) I asked her how she had liked her trip to the lake, she told me she hadn't been to a lake, but that she was planning one for later that summer. She asked me how I knew. When I told her I had seen her on a boat by the rocky shore, sunning with her boyfriend, she told me that I had to be kidding as they hadn't even been out on a date before that night. But I'd swear that when I touched her, I had that exact image pop into my head. Stuff like that happens sometimes. She ended up becomg a very good friend.

Take it as a gift, and appreciate it.

-Jennifer

 

Age does not bring wisdom, but it does give perspective.

[+Newenglandah]

IT could be a good story, but why would you take the time to write it. esp on the cache board!

 

I believe it, I have read alot on native people of all different cultures, they study the body language of animals and learn to basically think like them...I think if it wasn't a native I would think it was a crock of.

 

Do you get funny looks from co-workers -when you say your going into the woods with a 200$ gadet to find kids toys?

See You In the Woods!!!

Natureboy1376

[+Renegade Knight]

DW we don't always see eye to eye but I like that thought on obedience vs. conformity. If you have ever written any more on it I'd like to read it. I've 'lost' dogs due to my own stupidity and only in my last dog have I gained some insight and not 'lost' it though I'm at a loss how to get from where the dog is at to where it needs to be. Lost means lost to me. In other words if dogs really do get reborn they dog sure as heck would not seek me out.

 

It would be cool to meet a lady like that, but then she wouldn't have much good to say about me either. But it would be a wake up call.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

[+RJFerret]

I don't subscribe to reincarnation personally (yet?), but there was that Discovery channel show that revealed a study in Britain where they video'd a dog left alone at home, and the family running errands. They obviously had exact timing for each. At the point in time the family made the decision, "OK, we're going to return home after the next stop", the dog got up, moved from the living room to lay inside the front door to wait for them.

 

Previously never having subscribed to Tarot, last week I witnessed my brother's first reading and it was SPOT on historically and presently. Then I had to do it--guess what? Sure enough, dead on as well.

 

Your experience can't be simply explained by ideomotor functions or hypnosis as so many other similar activities are.

 

Give that woman a Myers-Briggs personality test, I bet she's an ENFP!

 

Great experience, thanks for sharing...

 

Randy

[+MountainMudbug]

Truly a lucky dog, and a lucky companion - enjoy your time together, I know you will

[+Trailwalker2]

Nothing strange about it, we are not supposed to understand everything. What fun would the world be then?

 

-Jared

[+Desert_Warrior]

WOW !!! Thanks for all the supportive replies...

 

I posted this yesterday, and have not looked back since. We are just finishing up our winter overhaul schedule at the power plant, and one boiler at another plant has failed and will be out all summer. So we are working 13-16 hours daily. Work-home-eat-shower-bed-work etc etc for the next few weeks till we finish. But the overtime pay !!!

 

The down side, only one day a week for caching-hiking.

 

Thanks for all the supportive replies. I still don't know what to believe, but it is somehow comforting to think Max is still with me, and Parker will be with me again too. He IS such an important part of my life.

 

Thanks again Y-all. I will check in tomorrow.

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

[+embra]

I don't check in on this forum too often, and I just read about your experience, Mike. While I try to be cautious about making too much of these kinds of things, I try to be humble enough to not dismiss them out of hand.

 

There are many possibilities and this woman has presented one of them. Contradictory empirical evidence would weigh heavily against it. However, lacking that, a possibility that has the quality of being comforting seems a valid criterion for consideration.

 

I knew the most about the world when I was about 20 years old. Of course, I was wrong about much of my "knowledge." The more I have learned, the less I know (my signature line is intended to be a self-mocking reminder)

 

Max

Often wrong but seldom in doubt

[+Firefishe]

[LONG Reply, a Bit Ranty]

 

So many replies, so many desires for refutation, especially of the scientific variety...oh how long will we strive...

 

...strive to understand the unseen patterns of Beauty and Love that Life is Always Wanting to Show Us? Yes!

 

I want to be the first to point out that it's not in the mechanics of the situation--although that is interesting in and of itself--but rather the Beauty of the wonderful Synchronicity that occurred to this man!

 

What a wonderful conglomeration of Meaningful Coincidences. The Native American woman appeared for him, to tell him of things relative to this: his own Life Path, and that of a spiritual friend who wanted to be with him always. This is known as a type of soul mate, a very deeply felt and held relationship.

 

What can I say to explain this? Can I say that the subatomic strata of a human electrostatic energy pattern (corona) is usually held in place by an active biological condition of Alertness and Awareness (what we all know as the normal conditions of physical life), and is released when the physical body ceases to function any longer (dies)?

 

Can I say that a separate component of the human physical body--a body of fine energy, primarily made up of light frequency vibration, with many layers--detaches itself from the physical human body at death, yet continues on, taking with it the collected Life Experience of the person, in transit to another realm of similiar light freqency and substance?

 

Can I say that a sub-quantum aspect containing the Living Human Personality of the Incarnate Soul (Physically Alive Human Being) exists outside of the Living Physical Body of the Human?

 

I could go on and on. There are so many ways to describe what many people already know to be true--and this is the kicker--"from their own direct experience."

 

This is the key, folks! If you skeptics out there want proof, there is only one way to be sure: "Experience Expanded Consciousness Yourself!" Heavy on the Self!!

 

True prayer is not just going to church and kneeling in a pew! It's not just sitting in a full-lotus position and meditating on the Buddha! It's not facing east toward Mecca, bowing up and down on a prayer mat. This is not Prayer!

 

Real prayer would scare the living daylights out of many people and just might be banned if the truth became known! The ancients practiced it, sometimes to their own detriment, because of it being misused. True prayer is getting in touch with the part of you that is Truly Living, Deeply Alive.

 

The part of you that is said to be able to "move mountains."

 

If anyone is interested in any of this, read the collected works of Robert A. Monroe: "Journeys Out of the Body, Far Journeys, and Ultimate Journey. These books will expand your mind and open up an whole new and delightful universe of expansion of thought--if you are willing to have an open mind.

 

Remember This Please: The human mind is like a book: It can only have knowledge imparted to it when it is open. Filter out the drivel--a lot harder than it appears at times--but be open to Truth. How to recognize what is true and what is not? This is easy if you are open to your Heart, Mind, and Spirit (that what makes You, You!).

 

Don't worry about the need for a Saviour. The need does not exist! We live on our own and, in reality, are walking this earth on a trip, alone, although there are others to share the trip with. We still need to be in full awareness of our own experiences. Turn off the TV, get outside, find that geocache, float down that river, go hang gliding, cross-country motorcycling, or whatever flights you fancy.

 

Make love, have babies if you desire. Be single, and walk a solitary path if you so choose. Have friends or rely on yourself, alone. It makes no difference.

 

As long as you are learning, not hurting yourself and others, it does not really matter what you do or how you experience it. Experience on Earth is translated into energy patterns that you take with you when your physical body shuts down permanently. The physicist types might look into the various aspects of the changing states of matter and electrical activity when the human body "dies" to find some evidence of this.

 

Others, just follow your Heart; if you're truly in touch with it--and not just on the surface level--you already know this to be true...and also understand that not one person experiences the same thing the same way. It's all in that quantum-observance material. Perspective--another word is "Individual Consciousness Point-of-view"--is individual by nature, although sometimes the same perspective is shared by groups; religious affliation is proof of this.

 

So Explore, Read, Question, and Experience! Get Out!

 

...Cache In On The Journey!

 

Love and Regards,

Stephen Brown (Firefishe)

 

 

---------------------------

The year is 2003.

The name is S.A. Brown.

BrowNAV (Brown Navigation)

---------------------------

 

[This message was edited by Firefishe on May 15, 2003 at 01:35 AM.]

[+hoovman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Desert_Warrior:

I still don't know what to believe, but it is somehow comforting to think Max is still with me, and Parker will be with me again too. He IS such an important part of my life.

---

 

Mike,

I'm a dog person too, and I'm generally a skeptic. But in a way, it doesn't matter what we think. If it makes you feel better, I say go with it. If she had told you to make important decisions in your life based on things about your dog, I'd be worried. But in this case, it's helping you have a better relationship with your buddy. That has zero downside.

 

I'm happy for you that met that lady. It sounds really special.

Jeff

 

[Cholo]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firefishe:

[LONG Reply, a Bit Ranty]

 

I could go on and on.

 

 

---

 

Yes, peyote will do that.

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

Y'know, I think it was a great story. However, it does irk me to no end when people are so quick to stand up and say, "nah, that couldn't happen." If a tree falls in a forest, and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

 

How do you know it didn't happen? Okay, scientific blah this, blah that.

 

I'm a skeptic about a lot of things, but there are some I will put my faith in being true. Stories like this, the best evidence against it is a skeptic and his/her opinion. I had something happen while hiking on a marathon caching day a week ago, that is similar in a sense to what Desert_Warrior experienced, although the overall circumstances were quite different. Would I expect a few skeptics to come forward and spew the 'coincidence' argument? Of course.

 

But this is a public forum, and we all have a right to our own opinions, however RIGHT or WRONG they may be.

 

Brian

Team A.I.

[tradergordo]

I'm assuming you were not under the influence of any strange substances or medication and you were not overheated at the time.

 

That said, the history books are full of accounts of people with what today we call "psychic" ability (sorry for straying even more off topic on an already off topic thread).

 

Of course there are many more frauds out there than the genuine article, but the real deal certainly does exist, and it doesn't have to be a native American (obviously vice versa also applies, don't stereotype native Americans as necessarily being more "spiritual" than anyone else).

 

I am a Christian and have read the Bible several times. If you read it (which honestly I think everyone should do at least once!), you will find that there are many examples of "psychics". These people (called by many different names including: mediums, diviners, sorcerers, witches, spiritists, and fortune tellers) could talk to the dead, cast spells, interpret dreams, and give people readings.

 

If you believe the Bible is true like I do, then you should know not to be fooled by the apparent spirituality (often mistaken for innocence) or striking talents of such people. Their information is unreliable and will ultimately lead one away from truth. They unknowingly mix truth in with lies accomplishing the purpose of the one who gives them power.

 

Paul himself ran into this, it is recorded in the book of Acts:

 

"Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." [MY NOTE: It amazes me that she was actually speaking the truth, and knew that Paul and Silas were telling people how to get saved]

 

Act 16:18 "She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her."

 

"When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, 'These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.' The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten."

 

Just some food for thought...

Personally I don't believe in reincarnation. Although the Bible doesn't directly address the issue for ANIMALS, it is quite clear about humans not being reincarnated:

 

Heb 9:28 "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

 

-Gordo

[FullOn]

Hey DW. If she made you feel a little closer to your dog, then that's cool. I love my dogs too. They are every bit as much a part of my family as my wife and kids. I think it's a bunch of hooey, but what do I know, right? As Hoovman said, there isn't really a downside to it so if it makes you feel better, great.

 

At least she's not Animal Planet claiming she can talk to iguanas and mice!

 

"The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either." - Benjamin Franklin

[+Snoogans]

DW - I'm not just a dog person. I'm a Great Dane person. I loved your story. I have had a similar experience, just not with a 3rd party (outside of family) to confirm it.

 

My family adopted and abandoned Dane (fawn) when I was 5 years old. I grew up with Fred and he died when I was 14 of a rare form of joint cancer. The MD Anderson Cancer Center here in Houston picked up all of the medical bills and sent students to our house daily for a year to care for him, since that would be a rare opportunity for experience with that form.

 

When I was 16 my father brought home a half dozen new born Dane pups. Their mother belonged to my father's secretary and she had died giving birth to them. His secretary was too distraught to care for them. There were 5 merle females and 1 solid black male with a perfect #1 shaped white blaze on his chest. The moment I picked him up I just knew that this dog was Fred. I didn't say anything about it at the time. I was 16 and I felt kinda stupid for thinking it. My parents named him Othello. There were too many coincidences in the dogs’ behavior as it grew and soon my mother and father and siblings were all commenting independently, so I fessed up to my initial impression and everyone in my family did the same. We had raised more than a dozen other Danes, but everyone said the same thing. "That's Fred." Unfortunately, he had a rare congenital heart defect and died before he was even 1 year old. Texas A&M picked up the tab this time for the same reasons. The vet claimed that the dog should not have survived a week when he discovered the heart problem. His sisters all died within 4 days. I'll never forget him saying, "He must have really wanted to live with you to have survived for so long." He added, "This condition is so painful that we never see them survive more than a month, at best." I swear that dog never showed any signs of pain and was playful to the last.

 

I'm a rational person and don't usually buy into (Although, I find it interesting.)paranormal stuff, but no skeptic can convince me that Othello wasn't the reincarnation of Fred.

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by FullOn:

At least she's not Animal Planet claiming she can talk to iguanas and mice!

---

 

I gotta agree with that one.

 

Sngans

The greatest labor saving invention of today is tomorrow....http://www.texasgeocaching.com

[Vacman]

What was the temperature outside at the time, and were you well hydrated?

 

--------------------------------------------------

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.

[+evergreenhiker!]

Cool! I like hearing about stories like that.

[auntyweasel]

I believe it. I think you are a very lucky man indeed. Not only to be blessed with Parker, but to have Max back in your life. And to have such an amazing experience! Hold it and him close to your heart.

 

Never invoke anything bigger than your head.

[+gt40]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Desert_Warrior:

What do you think?

---

 

Who cares? If you believe it, believe it and be thankful for lifes great (and small) mysteries.

 

If not, well, that's OK too, though it's nice to have a little magic once in a while...

 

-- RK

[+mrmnjewel]

Yeah, we believe it. Like TraderGordo, we are Christians, and do not believe in reincarnation as it applies to humans. However, what happens to the soul of an animal is never explained in the Bible. The theory we like is that a domesticated animal usually attaches itself to one person who is "theirs." The idea would be that that animal will seek their person out in various incarnations during their person's life. When their person dies, they will meet them in the afterlife.

Kind of a neat story of our own. In late summer of 2001, we had a female cocker spaniel named Peewee come to stay with us as a houseguest. The situation changed and Peewee became a permanent member of our family. She was 13+ years old. April 4, 2002, Peewee died suddenly. We buried her on our property and have a nice little memorial. Well, seven weeks later, we acquired a sweet, adorable little female chihuahua puppy who we named Sierra. Sierra was born on April 4th. As she has grown up, she is displaying many of Peewee's traits, including a particular place that she likes to sleep, etc.

I'm not saying for sure that Sierra is Peewee, but I am not saying that she isn't. Another cool fact involving the April 4th date: it was also the birthday of the male dachshund that Matt grew up with. Frodo died back in May of 1995 at the age of 15.

Anyway, interesting and cool.

 

Matt & Julia

[TeamKME]

I'm an open minded empiricist with a scientific background. I don't ever take anything on faith. Even the love of my daughter is demonstrated to me on a daily basis so why do I need to rely on faith? The problem for me with 'alternative' people is not that I discount what they espouse but that they have no real evidence to back up their claims. It's usually dressed up in some pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo. The same goes for religions too although the supporting structure boils down to pure faith which I at least have more respect for in its honesty even if I can't bring myself to subscribe to it. It's a personal thing and who's to say which of faith or empricism is the one true way?

 

It would appear though that we're getting to the stage where an empirical approach is yielding answers to support many of these views. For those cynics out there I'd suggest taking a look at Lynne McTaggart's 'The Field' which points the way towards a new direction in the evolution of science and the questions we should be addressing. It's very early days and the development of many of her arguments seem beset with logical leaps and holes but it's a very compelling and thought provoking read for all that.

 

Contrary to popular wisdom we tend to eschew GPS and use 'The Force' to find our caches.

[+Firefishe]

quote:

---

Originally posted by TeamKME:

I'm an open minded empiricist with a scientific background. I don't ever take anything on faith. Even the love of my daughter is _demonstrated_ to me on a daily basis so why do I need to rely on faith? The problem for me with 'alternative' people is not that I discount what they espouse but that they have no real evidence to back up their claims. It's usually dressed up in some pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo. The same goes for religions too although the supporting structure boils down to pure faith which I at least have more respect for in its honesty even if I can't bring myself to subscribe to it. It's a personal thing and who's to say which of faith or empricism is the one true way?

 

It would appear though that we're getting to the stage where an empirical approach is yielding answers to support many of these views. For those cynics out there I'd suggest taking a look at Lynne McTaggart's 'The Field' which points the way towards a new direction in the evolution of science and the questions we should be addressing. It's very early days and the development of many of her arguments seem beset with logical leaps and holes but it's a very compelling and thought provoking read for all that.

 

Contrary to popular wisdom we tend to eschew GPS and use 'The Force' to find our caches.

---

 

Oooooommmmm *HOVER* <waves ordinary looking twig over head>

 

*Poof* <Ribbit>

 

Now how's *that* for empirical?

 

...Caching In on the Journey

{--Firefishe--}

 

---------------------------

The year is 2003.

The name is S.A. Brown.

BrowNAV (Brown Navigation)

---------------------------

[motoXman]

.

[Rockratgirl]

What a very special experience for you. Please don't let some of the skeptics on here make you think otherwise.

 

Thats a beautiful dog you have there too.

 

Sam

 

~ Love many, trust few, learn to paddle your own Canoe ~

 

~ We can't run away for ever ... but theres nothing wrong with getting a good head start ~

[+RobRee]

DW -

her story made you feel good right. people pay thousands of dollars to acheive that feeling and don't succeed. pretty interesting story anyway. i have come to realize you are close to that big doggie.

 

robbie

 

A family that Geocaches together... eventually gets wet.

 

required reading

My first bible

Great Orienteering Site!

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST INSECTS AND OTHER ARTHROPODS OF MILITARY SIGNIFICANCE

[+GeoGryffindor]

Don't listen to any of the negativity.

 

These things do happen and you were fortunate enough to have experienced it.

 

You are blessed.

 

"Nice find! I must go tell Harry, Ron and Hermione."

[+sbukosky]

It took me a while to come across DW's story but we share enough interests and he has shared enough about himself that not only do I believe that it happened but I believe that it might even be true, the reincarnation that is. I keep a picture of my first Husky, Kanuck, here to remember him from time to time. My present Husky, Kanook, is not the same dog but I do believe that there must be more to such an animal's existance that to simply be born, live and die.

 

I'd like to explore the Indian spirituality some more as that which I was raised with has been shown over and over again to be built with lies and deceit.

 

Steve Bukosky N9BGH

Waukesha Wisconsin

[Enos Shenk]

Oh i believe it. Animals are wierd like that. I cant count the number of times my cat hes seemed to know something was going to happen. Stuff like whenever my aunt is coming to visit from indianapolis, my cat hides for 2 days, starting about an hour before she gets here.

 

[Episkipos Enos Shenk, KSC]

[http://enos.deviantart.com]

[The Falcon]

There's a show on the SiFi channel, "Pet Psychic". (no, I kan't spell). She tell horses to relax,and finds all kinds of interesting stories about pet lives.

 

I'm a bit doubtful, but since i belive in "G-d" (to make some poeple happy) I can't say she's not heavenly ordanined.

 

=====

It is the tale, not he who tells it."

[+sbukosky]

Originally posted by The Falcon:

I'm a bit doubtful, but since i belive in "G-d" (to make some poeple happy) I can't say she's not heavenly ordanined.

 

I hope we have not reached this point where we cannot even speak the name of GOD without fear of offending some oddballs. Don't take this personally Falcon. I know what you intended. I just draw the line between terms in bad taste and the fear of offending those just wanting to be offended.

 

Steve Bukosky N9BGH

Waukesha Wisconsin

[+mortaine]

Umm....

 

Okay, I'm a skeptic and an atheist, but I'm also a dog owner and dog lover. And I refuse to discount the possibility of energy beyond that which we scientifically have proven.

 

Dogs are incredibly perceptive, and they are always watching you. The way Parker focuses on you is probably even more intense than the way your ordinary pet dog focuses on his owner. To think that Parker doesn't at least know about Max would be, well, foolish, shall we say?

 

This Native American woman who came to talk with you about it. There are three possibilities: either she was intuiting that you previously had a smaller brown dog (okay, *any* breed is smaller than a Great Dane, and how many brown dogs are there?), or she was reading your past, or she was communicating with you and Parker non-verbally to learn things about the two of you.

 

I doubt highly that she was reading your past-- I just don't think that's possible.

 

But reading body language? Sure. Absolutely.

 

Communicating with a dog? If it's possible to talk with a dog, then there's certainly no reason Parker would not have been able to tell her that he'd had medical problems, and that you'd lost another dog previously. Putting those together to say he will come back.... that might just be wishful spirituality on her part.

 

I can tell, just from the way you and Parker are standing in your photograph, that the two of you train for obedience-- anyone with even a little knowledge of animal behavior can see the difference between conformation and obedience training in a dog.

 

The reincarnation bit is, well.... not believable to my mind. Parker acts like Max because Parker and Max are/were both your dogs.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that this extraordinary experience you had doesn't have to be anything more than someone recognizing the very deep bond you have with Parker, using clues that, though elusive, may not be super-natural at all.

 

I certainly agree with and support the comments that, if it brought you closer to Parker, than what harm is there? The woman didn't seem to be preying on you, didn't ask for money for her spiritual guidance, and was probably saying what she said out of pure motives.

[lisavemt]

I work on an indian reservation in Wisconsin. I know that there are some very spiritual people in this tribe. While I'm sure that the woman DW is talking about is not of the same tribe, I also know that there are things I cannot explain up there. Dogs have an uncanny way of knowing if someone is good or bad. They sense it far before we do. Parker "knew" that this woman was not a threat to him or DW. With that said how can anyone say that she was a charleton or anything else to that matter? Parker sensed she was not a threat. I truly believe that there are people on this planet who can communicate with other beings other than humans. And once again, how do dogs "know" stuff? How does my dog know when the school bus is returning with his kids? How does he know it's Friday, when my husband returns home? And then when he doesn't return home because he's delayed, why does this dog whine and worry until he hears my husband. Usually we have to call him and hold the phone up to the dogs ear so he'll settle down. And one more, how does my dog know that a certain neighbor live behind us while another lives across the street? I think we have to just accept this for what it is. It happened.

[+mortaine]

Lisavemt: Well, you know, everything that you pointed to can be attributed to the normal heightened senses and sensitivity that dogs have. I think Parker knew the woman wasn't a threat because of her body language and that of DW. Perhaps she also had contact with other dogs, who were happy around her, and Parker could scent them and knew they were not stressed around her.

 

Your dog knows the school bus is coming because he has better hearing than you do.

He knows it's Friday because you know it's Friday and you act differently (you probably even smell differently, even if you don't use a different perfume).

He knows his routine-- if something disrupts it, he will whine and worry. He will know that you have been disrupted by the delay, and will act accordingly.

He knows one neighbor lives over there and the other is across the street because he has a sense of smell, hearing, and because dogs are naturally territorial-- he *knows* where everyone's boundary markers are, because that's his biological job, so to speak.

 

I'm not saying the woman is a charletan-- I think she has the best of intentions, and certainly that she believes in her own abilities. If it brings a man and his dog closer together, that's great-- I have no problem with that, either.

 

I just feel that all the tangible evidence can be accounted for using known scientific information, and that the intangible evidence can be accounted for with good guesswork and body language. I will not discount the possibility of someone being able to communicate with a dog. But I do doubt the possibility of reincarnated dog spirits, or a person reading the past.

 

Personally, I think it does no harm to acknowledge and celebrate the known and knowable properties of these fine animals, whether you choose also to believe in non-knowable properties such as a spiritual communication or connection.

[+Breaktrack]

Well buddy, you already know how I feel about you and your puppy, so there is no doubt in my mind you saw what you saw, heard what you heard, and felt what you felt. No one else here can really say with any certainty anything against that. Speculation abounds, skeptics rant and rave, and you know what, tomorrow you will still have had the experience you had.

 

As long as ex-wives don't come back like that I'm in fat city......ROFL!

 

"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life.

[+Desert_Warrior]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Breaktrack:

Well buddy, you already know how I feel about you and your puppy.

 

As long as ex-wives don't come back like that I'm in fat city......ROFL!

---

 

My friend, you have a way of describing the Indescribable! You kill me !!! And I don't even have an ex-wife!

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

[+Kealia]

Desert Warrior,

 

What a great story. I too am a dog person (2 Shephards) and this was a touching story.

We also train our dogs and in fact our last Shephard (Brix) was a fully trained narcotics/protection/ police dog.

He died last September and we were fortunate enough to get a puppy from his blood line from our breeder. These dogs are related so obviously there are similarities and it's a great reminder to us of Brix when Hagan (new Shephard) does something that Brix used to do.

 

Not drawing any comparisons here really. Just enjoyed your story and thought I'd share a bit of my own as I'm sure you love to hear about other dog families, too.

[+Desert_Warrior]

It is a sad fact in society, but I like and trust my dog more than most people. A co-worker asked me about that one day. I explained it like this.

 

If we are crossing a street, a large truck is speeding down on us, and I stumble, fall, and become disabled in the street... what do you do?

 

His answer... look at the truck and decide if he can get to me in time.

 

Dog's answer... run to help the master, and save him or die together trying.

 

Loyalty like that is not found in the average person. In my experience, only combat troops, fire or police, and a few other high-stress jobs develope that level of loyality.

 

If I were more like my dog, I would certainly be a much better person.

 

I do enjoy ALL dog stories!

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

[Rapparee]

DW – I found your story fascinating. I am a pretty skeptical person, and often need a lot of evidence to convince me of something that seems a little unnatural, but there are some things that simply cannot be explained in our rational terms.

 

The following is not an animal story, but it does come from that same “unexplained” realm. I also realise that the skeptics out there don’t know me, and can come up with a whole bunch of supposedly reasonable assumptions of why this is not unnatural, or why I might have eaten the wrong mushrooms for breakfast, etc.

 

Some years ago a good friend’s wife was hospitalised. It was serious, and my wife at the time, and I offered to look after their two girls aged 6 and 9 so he could go to work and the hospital without having to worry about the kids, and their daily routine of school, homework, feeding, etc.

 

Unfortunately, his wife had two brain tumours, and she died about 7:30 pm one Sunday evening. My wife was putting the girls to bed, along with our children when he phoned just after 8 pm to tell me that his wife had died. He asked me not to tell the girls, and not to let them go to school the next morning, as he would come by and tell them himself about their mother.

 

The next morning my wife was making breakfast when the 9 year old walked into the kitchen, and said, “My mother died last night.”

 

My wife was stunned and asked her why she said that. The girl then told her that her mother had come to her and spoken to her for a long time, telling her that she had to go away, but not to worry, and to look after her little sister and her dad. If you knew her mother, this exactly what she was like towards her children.

 

The kid went on to say “it was like it was a dream, but like I was awake too.” She said a whole lot of other stuff, that seemed to make sense when you took into account her mother’s nature of being close with her children.

 

Now, there is no way I can tell you why this happened. All I can do is relate as accurately as possible what did happen. My wife and I looked at the possibility that perhaps the daughter could have overheard me telling my wife about the phone call, but we both think that was a no go explanation.

 

Other than that one small possibility, there is no other rational explanation for this occurance, and certainly not for all the things she said her mother had told her..

 

One thing was for sure, that girl was as composed and serene like you could not believe during the whole process of the next couple of days, and also at the funeral. No matter what anyone else believed, she was absolute about what she said her mother had told her, and she was an amazing strength to her dad, and her younger sister.

[+TeamELRAY]

DW - I can believe it. Hey, if people can possibly be reincarnated, why not dogs? They have spirits, too!

 

Just to share another geocaching/dog story, my husband and I were caching yesterday with our chocolate lab, Abby in a local (semi urban/suburban) New York park. Two women approached us and asked if we knew of anyone who had lost a yellow lab. They had found a male yellow lab with a name tag that said "Clifford" and some other tags. They called the phone number on his rabies tag to find the owner and were told the owner lived in Georgia. They had made up signs to place all over the park and had Clifford at home with their 2 other dogs. We are not regulars at that park (we were just there for the cache) so were not familiar with the local dogs. We suggested that perhaps the owner of Clifford was visiting NY and they should leave a message for him in Georgia in case he called looking for his dog. They said that Clifford also had a microchip and they were going to bring him to their vet to scan it and find more info on contacting the owner.

 

We wished them luck and continued on our way to look for the cache. About 10 minutes later we arrived in the area where our GPSr told us the cache should be. A little stand of woods between 2 paths. My husband searched near one path, and myself with our dog near the other. A man came walking down the path and stopped to ask me if I had by any chance seen a yellow lab! I asked if his dog's name was Clifford and sure enough it was! We pointed him in the direction the 2 women had gone and told him to look around the park for the flyers they were posting with their phone number on it. Turns out he was NOT from Georgia, but from the neighborhood and the Georgia info was from the previous owner. I guess he had not changed it yet. He went on his way to try to find the 2 women and/or the flyers with their phone number.

 

We really hope that he hooked up with them.

 

We almost did not go caching yesterday because I was not feeling well. But it was a stunning day and I did not want to waste it indoors. So we just chose a nearby cache that would be quick just to get some fresh air.

 

Thinking about it later, it seemed like perhaps we were meant to be geocaching at that park, on that day, at that particular time to help connect the women who found Clifford the yellow lab with his owner. We hope they were united again!

 

TeamELRAY and Abby the dog