ON DOGS: THEY ARE MORE COGNIZANT THAN WE THINK!

 I’m writing here as an confessed and inveterate dog lover,  whose relationship with canines began at a very early age.  “Queenie” was the first of a long line of canine companions I have cherished through my life.  There were many: Jeeves, Scrubby, Blackie, Martha, Molly, Kim, Whitey, Goliath, Milo and Phineus.  I remember them all, learned from them, about them, how “knowing” they were and loved them all.

So when I read the heart warming story of “Tinsley”, in the local news about a dog who led two state teoopers to the site of her master’s truck crash, I was so touched. The story reminded me of the emotional and thought complexity of all of the dogs I had known and loved. I had to write this note on how canids think….and how Tinsely must have thought. For indeed they do think.

Tinsely is a female Alsatian or German Shepard from up in Lebanon NH, who led two NH State Troopers,  over the state line to the truck crash-site of her master.  The two NH troopers did report noticing Tinsely who appeared seemingly out of no where, on an isolated stretch of Interstate 91 near Lebanon, NH.   The troopers  assumed the dog who crept up on them was a stray or simply abandoned and was looking for a food handout.  But she ignored the left over doughnuts proffered  by the police officers.  

An attempt to rescue her failed for as the men approached she retreated.   But then she would return, to make herself seen again, only then to retreat again as the troopers approached.  When they came closer she seemed to encourage them to follow.  One of the troopers, perhaps with a little more canine experience,  concluded that the dog was trying to encourage them to follow her.  They did.  

She quickly led them several hundred yards across the near-by state line into Vermont and along  the highway to a site where a metal crash rail had been hit and twisted off it’s footings. Damaged, bark skinned trees as well and ripped up vegetation indicated a crash site.  There, down a steep embankment the troopers could clearly  see the wreck of a truck…which would have been impossible to find had they not been directed there by Tinsely.  In the cab two men lay comatose and exposed to freezing temperature.  The occupants  were eventually rescued and transported to hospital where they were successfully treated. One of them was Tinsely’s master. 

Tinsley’s story is a tribute to our canine companions.  Who can not speak but have complex brains that understand, and can foresee a potential problem and even solve them.  Tinsely must have escaped from the wreck without injury.  She was aware that her human companions were injured and needed help. She actually found help, and without the benefit of speech understood how she could convey the idea that help was needed elsewhere, and then actually led that help to where it was needed.  Now that is evidence of a pretty complex thinking processes. So let’s not underestimate our lovable canines!  

Or for that matter all other animals….