Love Without Language: The Way Of A Dog

In this meditation for dog lovers, you will hear of the happy habits of three beautiful dogs. There is time for reflection on dogs that have been part of our lives, and looking at how they make their way through life, we see the lessons dogs can teach us. For those who have lost a much-loved dog, there is an opportunity to look back in gratitude.

Music: Visualization - Music + 4Hz by Narek Mirzeai of Music of Wisdom. Photo:getty-images-bNBd5OitGFE-unsplash

Transcript

Dear friends,

As a child I had a fear of dogs.

Later on we had a dog of our own,

A small Pomeranian named Tubby.

Tubby's happy nature helped me to overcome my earlier feeling of discomfort when I was in the presence of a dog.

For practical reasons Fran and I do not have a dog now,

But I can tell you that my life is made happier by the fact that I am friendly with a number of dogs who appear to love me as much as I love them.

Which is a long winded way of introducing this meditation,

Giving thanks for our four legged friends.

Let's begin by finding yourself a quiet comfortable place to sit or to lie down.

If you've decided to listen to this meditation I imagine you might have a dog beside you or even on your lap and that's fine as well.

You might like to begin by closing your eyes and bringing yourself to a state of relaxation.

Maybe giving thanks for a dog or dogs that are currently part of your life or looking back in grateful appreciation for the fact that you had a time where you shared your life with a creature who didn't answer back,

Never shared secrets,

Was always delighted to see you coming to the door and probably knew you and your habits better than you know yourself.

A one minute pause for grateful appreciation.

So now to tell you about three dogs in my life.

Luna is a Labrador and she lives in the house next door.

Her coat is cream coloured and she's getting on in years which is a little troubling.

Luna knows the sound of my approaching car and she waits enthusiastically looking out for me through the gate at the side of her house.

Why is she looking for me?

I keep a supply of dog chewies in the boot of my car and whenever I see Luna I open the boot and I deliver the treat.

She dances with excitement,

Manages a little bark of happiness without letting the treat fall out of her mouth.

Looking at Luna is just happiness itself.

Across the road from Luna lived another dog,

Sunny Boy.

Sad to say he died recently.

He barked like mad at anyone's approach.

No way could you deliver a treat to Luna without first offering something similar to Sunny Boy across the road.

Unlike Luna who gently took the treat with an almost visible thank you,

Sunny Boy grabbed what was on offer,

Waited briefly for a pat on the head before settling down to munch away.

Dog number three is Izzy.

She belongs to my sister-in-law and her son.

Izzy is a little creature who would make your day.

She barks with excitement on hearing our car approach her house.

Then she enthusiastically accompanies us into the house,

Hops up onto the couch,

Rises onto her hind legs and I rise my arms to match.

I ask her to dance which is the name of this performance.

She raises her front paws,

I raise my arms and away we go.

Dance Izzy,

Dance,

Dance.

It's such fun.

After a while she settles down,

The tail wagging furiously.

The tail is banging like a drum against the back of the couch,

So funny to see.

Izzy also has to have a treat.

The signal for this is me asking her,

Will we go get a bomb?

She never declines,

Jumping up in reply to the question and we head out to the car.

I open the boot and I noisily shake the bag containing the chewies.

She gets more excited by the second.

I take out a chewie and together we head back into the house.

She jumps and she barks like mad.

Up she hops onto the couch.

I tease her with a treat and finally I throw it over to her.

She catches it between her paws and she chews away.

Izzy also puts on a and tell her I'll be back soon.

The parting is so sad.

The tail which earlier had been banging like a drum against the back of the couch,

The tail is now hanging limp behind her.

She almost touches the floor looking sad and forlorn as if to say please don't go.

Some reflections there on the dogs in my life.

Let's have a one minute pause for reflection now.

Welcome back.

Now it's time for some loving thoughts directed to the little creatures who are part of our lives.

So gently bring into your awareness the presence of your beloved companion and you can whisper silently or aloud these words.

You are loved.

You have brought me so much joy.

You are safe with me always.

Thank you for being part of my life.

We might repeat those expressions.

You are loved.

You have brought me so much joy.

You are safe with me always.

And thank you for being part of my life.

There are few beings on earth who teach us how to live more simply,

More presently and more honestly than our companion animals.

Among them dogs,

The subject of this meditation.

Without saying a single word,

Dogs teach us so many lessons for life.

Anyone who has loved a dog will know the eyes,

How you look at them,

How they look back at you in a way that is just beyond words.

You can chat to your dog in the knowledge that whatever you say will not be passed on.

And dogs are present.

Unlike ourselves,

They have the gift of living always in the present moment.

It often occurs to me that when we have an ache or a pain,

Our discomfort is multiplied by the fact that we anticipate the future and we fear that the trouble or the pain will never end.

We'll have a tomorrow we'll have it the day after.

Now I don't know what goes on in a dog's mind,

But I imagine that a dog struggling with an injured leg will be hobbling along as best he or she can without being troubled by a concern that they'll have the same pain tomorrow and the day after.

They live in the present and so should we.

And we have to give thanks too for the faithfulness of our little four-legged friends.

Think of the excitement when we return,

The happiness when they see the door open,

How they play with full attention and extraordinary energy,

After which they can lie down and rest,

Really rest,

In a way which we could usefully copy,

Which we find very difficult.

Notice too how they lie down in the warmest spot,

Catching the warmth of the sun through the window or else snuggling up in a comfortable spot near a fire or near a radiator.

They know their comforts.

And notice how they pay attention when they go for a walk.

Just mention of the word walk or the production of a lead produces excitement as if they haven't been outside for weeks.

And then we go out on the walk and see how the dog is guided by its sense of smell,

Noticing everything.

They really see where their nose is.

We have the gifts of sight and smell and memory and we can stroll along without noticing the wonders of the world around us.

But the dog is in the present moment,

Taking in everything in its surroundings.

We think of dogs providing companionship and help for people with disabilities and special needs of one kind or another.

Dogs who can guide and help us.

And we must also give thanks for the people who train dogs to be able to perform these tasks.

Let's have another one-minute pause for reflection.

Just 60 seconds to reflect with thankfulness on the dogs in our lives.

Welcome back again.

The time will come and too soon when our faithful companion is growing old and has to leave us.

We wouldn't be feeling a sense of loneliness and grief if we hadn't loved this creature who's been a faithful friend to us for much of its life.

But on the loss of our companion we can give thanks for the happy days,

The walks,

The runs,

The diving of the dog into water and the dreaded emergence forcing us to retreat ahead of the inevitable splashing.

One day your dog's body will return to the earth.

But the love,

The tail wagging,

The attempts to lick your face,

The unspoken loyalty,

These and all these habits will warm your memory.

You'll remember your faithful friend,

The place where he or she used to play fetch.

You'll remember them in the spot where they used to lie down to rest after a busy day.

There's naturally a sense of loss but nothing is ever truly lost when it has been deeply loved and when it's remembered.

So some closing thoughts.

May we carry the quiet wisdom of our animal companions into our days,

Recalling their steady loyalty,

Their joy in play and their trust in us.

May the thought of these companions remind us that love can be expressed without words.

May the memory of our dogs remind us to live in the present as they do,

To notice all around us with joy as they do.

And finally may you be well.

May you be comforted in any times of loss,

Including the loss of your four-legged companion.

And may you find moments of peace and happiness every day.

Namaste.

Reviews

“A dog has one aim in life. To bestow his heart.” ~ J. R. Ackerley

The words "thank you" are not enough to express my gratitude, Tony, for this heartfelt homage to our faithful companions. 🐾

"Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift." ~ Mary Oliver

Lovely, what a kind and compassionate meditation and very poignant for our family right now. Thank you. 🙏❤️🙏

Thank Tony… I lost my beautiful intelligent Dog in September 25. It was a decision I made out of kindness towards the creature I loved so much. He was a fantastic dog and we were rarely ever apart because he wanted to be with me and I allowed that. He was a European mountain sheepdog a big boy and it was his job in his beautiful head to guard me that was in his DNA. As we all know our dogs will die before us and we will be left with the grief of probably the best relationship we ever had. Dogs are the best faithful loving creatures , so I need two carve out a new routine and life again it’s tough. But as you say to remember all the hours of companionship and love we had. It’s timely and odd this meditation was suggested algorithm I guess. Anyway, thanks for that. he looked very much like this dog here, beautiful.🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️

What a gorgeous meditation, Tony. I too was afraid of dogs as a young child, but then a wonderful creature came into our lives and it has been a great love affair ever since. My last dog died several years ago and due to circumstances, I can't have another. She used to sit on my lap while I meditated.
That doesn't stop me from loving every dog I meet in the street. Dogs are a blessing. Thank you again Tony. Namaste 🫶🙏

I loved this. We lost our beautiful dog at less than 5 years old due to an aggressive illness. He was my daughter’s dog. I miss him terribly but he led me into other dogs in my neighborhood. I have met and love so many like they are my own. I too, do not own a dog but I find joy in others beautiful dogs. Thank You for this heartfelt meditation.

That was lovely, Tony. Thank you 🙏🏼 Hope you and your family are happy and well 🙏🏼

Thank you Tony for this lovely reminder of how special our 4 legged friends are. Iam blessed to have a Labrador/collie cross called Jess in my life. she’s getting on life now 12 this year, but still full of energy and love for everyone she meets. You are so right that we can learn so much from dogs 🐕 on how to live a mindful life . The dogs in your life can sence a good person like you 🙏

Beautiful! To be in relationship with a pet is the most spiritual and loving experience of life. This connection teaches us patience, commitment and compassion….a love like no other!

Captured all the beauty of dogs, such a sweet, soothing meditation.

A unique meditation, one that brings deep reflection on living in the moment. 🐾

Oh Tony you brought me back to my dogs that have passed on. They were truly such loyal companions.
Thanks for sharing your story. 🙏🏻💕

Thank you Tony. I found this very emotional. I have had many dogs in my life, also some years without for practical reasons, work and travel. But one dog was of particular importance. When my husband was very ill and later passed away our dog Oscar was the greatest support through it all. It astounds me to this day how these creatures can sense illness, sense grief, knowing just how to comfort you without uttering a word. It is all telepathy and love! He even understood how my three daughters grieved in different ways and could play and bounce with my youngest, lie quietly in my older daughter’s lap while she was reading and go for long strengthening walks with my second oldest. In many ways these animals have developed far beyond us humans. They can certainly read a room!

Wonderful, thank you for the reminder of the the love and loyalty brought to our lives by dogs. They truly are treasures.

I first sat with this offering last evening during a loud tropical thunderstorm and my poor stressed dog Billy had clambered up on pto my knee before I pressed play. I placed my phone down beside him and your voice and my patting as we listened helped him to relax and close his eyes, normally he will be so tense for the entire duration of a storm no matter how much comfort we offer. So Billy Boy says Thank You also.

Oh, Tony, you brought back so many memories of our long succession of wonderful dogs from the early days of our marriage through raising children through having grandchildren. Our last dog passed away several years ago. I have a wonderful picture of him as my computer wallpaper , so he is one of the first things I see each morning. Throughout the many years we also had wonderful cats, birds, fish. Our oldest cat of 16 1/2 years recently passed away. So very sad to lose him. We're now down to our last pet, a 16 year old kitty. All of our long list of pets brought us so much happiness and their memories are still with us. Your talk today brought so many memories. We thank God for these wonderful creatures.

I love this! I have pugs and they show so much love and make me laugh and bring me so much joy. Thank you for creating this beautful piece.

Lovely reflections on our canine companions. Dogs have been a very important part of my life and some of my greatest spiritual teachers 🦮

Tony, thanks for the fun and touching meditation on dogs. It made me really miss Rusty, my son’s dog from 2006 to 2020. He was a best buddy to all of us, who knew exactly how to engage, cheer up, and team with each person in the family, uniquely. He loved our little black cats, too, letting Ollie lick his ears while they relaxed together on the floor, and veritably melting when he first met our new cat, Luna, who joined the family a few months after Ollie had passed.
Wonderful memories. Thanks for the sweet start to my day!
Enjoy your dog friends, Tony, and have a happy day,
Donna

Thank you, Tony, for this lovely meditation! My dog is my meditation companion and a great comfort. 🙏🏻❤️

I totally agree with this talk. Thank you for sharing.
Namaste 🙏