Why Kuma Was Not Just a Dog
Scientists have just started to study dog's brains and behaviour with modern tools and what they found has amazed them.
A dog brain is very similar to a human brain. Through a combination of MRI and computer technology, scientists have been able to determine that dogs are capable of not only feeling pain and happiness but also of feeling empathy. Dogs can mimic the feelings they detect in other dogs or people. It is their way of understanding these feelings themselves.
Through MRI scientist have seen that dogs react to the smell of their owners and even pictures of their owners with more excitement than to food.
To dog owners who have spent time with their dogs and have looked into their eyes, this is not a surprise but it is a confirmation of what they already knew. Dogs are capable of feeling and loving and it is not just because you feed them.
Kuma's Early Years
Kuma was born empathetic. As a puppy Kuma showed feelings of caring, gentleness and happiness. One thing that really stood out from Kuma's character was that she was always in a good mood, never a sad or angry mood. Kuma was always playful. And Kuma always looked to get you involved. She wanted to entice you to play. She would look at you and try to draw you in to chase her or play. Kuma had a ton of very positive energy. For everything that Kuma did, she looked back at you right in your eyes to try to gage your mood, to see what you were thinking and feeling. She would go ahead and always look back to see what you were doing. "Come on, chase me!". "Come on, let's play!".
Kuma was born kind and gentle. She never got angry and it was a shock one time when in a dog park 3 ridgebacks squared off at her. She saw what was going on and then chased each one of them down individually until she caught them and put her mouth on their neck just to show them. She did it with each one. Then she came back and played.
Kuma was laying in the kitchen and a mouse looked around at her from behind the fridge. Kuma looked at the mouse and put her head back down. Other dogs would have jumped up and killed the mouse. My male dog, Vike did that several times. But, Kuma did not have a mean bone in her body, she never caused harm to anyone. Kuma was not a killer. She never killed anything. Except her toys. As a puppy she shook them instinctively to break their necks. But, when we took her to dog training for defensiveness, the trainer wanted her to kill the mop head, she refused and wanted no part of it. This attacking stuff was not for her.
Kuma loved to play with llittle dogs and she was very gentle with them. Kuma was sensitive.
Kuma was never scolded and never crate trained. Kuma was never exposed to anger, she was like a love child, a free loving spirit.
As Kuma got older, she became more attached and more emotional. She wanted to be near her family all the time. When we had to leave Kuma for 5 days in a dog sitters house, she turned around and jumped back at the door and our hearts broke for her.
Kuma learned to love Christmas and layed patiently in front of the presents knowing that they were for her. When Christmas came and she was given the presents, she unwrapped them gently.
Kuma would stop in front of the couch and look back at you for permission to get up on the couch when she was young and later I think it was to see if you would help her get up. But Kuma always looked back at you to communicate.
The more time I spent with Kuma, the more I was able to observe and see in her. I saw her character and her caring and her gentleness. I saw her compassion. What shocked me most is when Kuma was older and I was away from her for just a bit, I came back and saw tears running down her cheeks. Kuma cried real tears when she missed you.
Kuma did not like to be brushed or have her hair cut. She didn't like baths either. After it was all done, she ran around happy like a puppy maybe because it was over. In the end I could not cut her hair or groom her because it traumatized her too much.
Kuma loved going out for walks as most dogs do. We lived right beside a park and Kuma loved to run through the paths. Later Kuma's absolute favourite thing to do was to go mountain biking with us. She loved climbing hills and no matter how hard or steep, she was always way ahead, running and looking back. Often she would have to come running back to get us and then run ahead again, and we were on bikes. Kuma was an amazing trail runner. She would pick out the right trail in a fork in the path and was always right.
Kuma ate only people food. Her first food at home was toast with butter. Butter became her absolute favourite and she would eat most anything with butter on it, brocolli, Kale, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoe, pasta, potatoes, bread and toast. Kuma's appetite would double in the winter. Instead of one chicken breast, she would eat two. She had two meals a day and pretty much ate everything that we did except tomatoe sauce or anything with spices. As Kuma became older she ate more protein, more steak and more chicken, pork and fish and much less pasta, potatoes and rice. And peas, Kuma would not eat peas. She was able to eat the entire meal and leave only the peas in her plate.
Kuma was content when her family of sheep were all home and inside the pens. If someone was not home she was restless. Kuma loved to lay under the kitchen table sleeping and listening while everyone was there talking.
Kuma love to sleep with you. At first she always slept with her mother and when her mother went away to work, Kuma slept in her bed waiting for her. Kuma was her mother's dog and even though Cheryl was away at times for a long time and was worried that Kuma would forget her, Kuma never did. Even now, when Kuma didn't see her mother for over three years and I had the gym equipment bags open, Kuma went over to the bag with Cheryl's clothing and instantly remembered and got excited. It was heartbreaking to see that Cheryl left Kuma and years later, Kuma still remembered her and missed her.
Kuma's later years
When Kuma was young, she was never the center of attention. She was a quiet tag-a-long companion. She was not spiritual or magical, she was just a happy little girl happy to be with you and do things together.
But, as Kuma got older, she became more emotional and wanted more attention. Luckily, I met Marie who loved dogs and loved Kuma. I think she was more attracted to me because of Kuma. She did everything for Kuma and made sure Kuma was well taken care of. I was lucky to meet Marie and so was Kuma. Kuma also got to play with a little brother Mackie who she loved as well. If Mac was eating out of her bowl, she waited until he was finished. If she came to the bedroom and Mackie was sleeping in her big bed, she just went over and slept on the hardwood floor.
Marie was the only person I could leave Kuma with when I had to go out. Marie cared for Kuma and loved Kuma as if she were her own. And Kuma knew this. She felt safe and loved with Marie.
In the last three years of Kuma's life, Kuma and I lived alone in a garage gym.
Kuma has always been a social being more than me and I know that being alone with just me did not make her happy at first. When Marie came to visit with Mac, Kuma picked up in energy for the next three days both times they came to visit. Maybe she was mirroring my feelings but I am sure it was that she was excited to see Marie and Mackie. In July, when we drove to Plattsburgh where I was head referree, Kuma had been very restless and I was worried that the trip was too much for her. But, when we got there, she became her old self, walking around the whole gym and visiting each person to check out if they had any food for her. She was very social. When we got home, Kuma was on a high level of energy for the next three days. Kuma loved being with people.
The three years in the garage were the best time I ever spent with Kuma. It was just her an me together 24 hours a day. As she got weaker and especially after she started having seizures I observed her every second. It's when we both got to know each other like we never did before.
This is when I got to really understand Kuma's energy and positive emotions. This is where I got to see her knocked down but always getting back up and trying. A few times I thought I was losing her but each time after two or three days she bounced back with a renewed energy. I swear in her last two years aside from her seizures, Kuma was getting younger each year. I thought I was losing her for sure when she was 14 years old.
What changed everything was love and attention. Kuma was getting old and ready to die. I could see it. But, when she was able to sleep in bed with me and I held her and gave her more time, more attention and more love, Kuma became reborn. She gave more love back. Kuma lived to be with me. Kuma tried again and kept making comebacks just because she wanted to be with me. No, I did not keep her living longer for my own selfish reasons, no Kuma kept herself living longer because she wanted to.
When Kuma was 15 years old, her arthritus started getting bad. It got so bad that she didn't want to walk. Then, I started getting her to walk a bit further each time. Walk to your food bowl, then walk outside. Then we went to the park and increased our walking there. Until one day Kuma walked up this very steep tobaggan hill in the park. I was crying tears of joy and amazement as I saw the determination in her eyes when she was almost at the top of the hill and did not quit until she reached the top. I saw the enjoyment she felt from her success as she looked all around from the top of the hill.
Kuma was now 16 and two or three times in her walks around the whole park she climbed the hill twice in a row. There were some days that she didn't want to climb the hill and we just walked around it. I always let her decide. Kuma was a very strong character.
In the summer it got too hot to go outside. We started sleeping in the day and went out at night but it was still too hot for her. Kuma didn't tolerate the heat as well as before and I realized that the heat was actually a trigger for her seizures. I think it caused her inflammation in her brain. The last month of her life, September was the worst. Temperatures were very high with many days of 30 to 32 degrees C. The airconditioner could not keep up and Kuma's body and head were too hot. I put ice packs on her to try to cool her down but September brought her two seizures from the heat. In October, we finally got a bit of a break but it was still too humid. Kuma got to walk in the park twice in October before her last day on earth. She loved her last walk. She sniffed all around to see what the other dogs were up to. We were just going to break through into the cool weather, Kuma's best time of year.
Kuma was not just a dog. Kuma was more like a person especially in her last three years. Kuma had better character both in strength and in loving than more people. Kuma loved people. Kuma loved me. In the end she only lived to be with me and I lived for her. This cannot be explained to someone who has not experienced it. It only comes with the amount of time spent together. When you love someone more than yourself and feel their love for you is as strong and they love you more than themselves, you know that you both live for each other. This is the bond of love and trust that I felt with Kuma and this is why she was more than a dog. And, Kuma was more than I could ever understand.
Kuma did not die. She never gave up, she was ready to wake up and live. Kuma wanted to live and to go to Tim Horton's for a bagel with cream cheese. Kuma wanted to go for a walk in the park in the cool air. Kuma wanted to come home to sleep in her own bed.
Kuma was just resting. The antibiotic just messed her up for a while but it just needed to get out of her system. Kuma did not expect to be killed. This sweet lifttle girl did not deserve this at all. And especially not in the way it was done. Kuma loved everyone.