Skating on Thin Ice

Most of us remember the stories of Lassie saving Timmy from falling in the well or Toto barking at the tornado and the Wicked Witch warning Dorothy of danger in “The Wizard of Oz.” People love to hear a feel-good story about an animal saving someone. Is the need to rescue humans instinctive for dogs?

Living in the country with many animals, a large pond, and three outdoor-loving sisters had its challenges and life lessons for my family. We had many English Setters over the years, but Spot and Chips were our trusty Setter duo for most of my childhood.

My sisters Connie and Kellie and I did everything together. And it almost always included being outside with the dogs, horses, and cats, often all three. We spent many an hour riding our horses, pretending we lived on the Ponderosa and deciding whose turn it was to be Little Joe, Adam, or Hoss for the day. We would ride, packed for the day, and settle on the far side of the pond from our home. We would set up our camp, hang our saddles and canteens, dig for worms, cut cattails, fish, and at times even go for a swim. Spot and Chips were part of our drama, guarding and waiting.

This pond is full of life no matter the season. And no matter what season of life I am in, it is always there for me. To some people, it might just be a pond, but to me, it has a way of keeping its grip on me, drawing me closer to it. It is my place for peace. I can close my eyes and remember all of my seasons. Of course, I always have a dog or two by my side. Teaching my children and grandchildren what beaver action looks like, how to cast a rod, untangle a line, hike while singing “the ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah,” gaze at clouds and pick out the animal shapes we see, roast a hot dog on a coat hanger, identify all the Oklahoma trees and the many reasons you don’t walk in tall grass or pick poison ivy…. The pond is full of memories, life lessons, humor, and many a tall tale.

Ice Skates Spark Olympic Dreams

One Christmas, I asked Santa for ice skates. Growing up with sisters, my gifts were often paired with, “Now share that with your sisters.” But somehow, I believed I could become the next Olympic figure skater. Back in the 1960s, Oklahoma had snow and ice storms and frigid temperatures for much longer periods of time. Our pool and pond would freeze solid enough to skate on.

On Christmas morning, we three girls in matching flannel gowns raced down the bedroom hall to the den to fix our eyes on our beautiful tree and the presents. My mother was very creative and wrapped our presents so nicely they were too pretty to open. Well, almost. With excitement, we tore open our gifts. There they were. My very own ice skates! My future figure-skating dreams were off to the perfect start.

Now I just needed ice. I had to wait several weeks for the storm to come. Then magic happened. The snow and cold visited Oklahoma. We had so much snow we built elaborate forts and igloos. We lost electricity, lived and cooked by a fire, and the snow we had looked forward to became quite a problem. No school for a couple of weeks! My dad had a very heavy, long iron post. He would hammer the pole down into the ice to see how thick it was. When Dad deemed it safe, the three sisters started by skating on the pool but kept running into each other. The pond began drawing us in. It was just so pretty, almost a dream. Dad bundled up and took us down to a cove and repeated his measurements. He firmly told us we could skate only in the cove and no farther. We understood. The days of sharing my new skates and bundling up like a polar bear were a great deal of fun and exercise, although my ankles were killing me!

Setters Set Off the Alarm

The next day, the sun was out in full force, and the snow and bitter wind had ceased. My younger sister and I ventured out to the pond with strict orders to stay where we were told. Again, we agreed. We were laughing and skating when we heard the dogs frantically running and barking on the bank. That is when the realization of danger overwhelmed us. We were out too far — much too far. The dogs barked like that only when something was very wrong. We could always count on Spot and Chips.

It was hard to think or hear over their noise. In unison, we both glanced down at the ice when we heard a “boink.” It is a sound we will never forget. We could hear water bubbling under the ice, and the water below seemed to be moving. The ice began to splinter. I yelled at Kellie to go to the nearest right bank, and I would go left. We needed to spread our weight out. My heart was racing. I was crying and could not catch my breath. I remember thoughts I had in my panic. If I fall in, these skates will sink me straight to the bottom. What do I do if she falls through? How will I get to her?

I’m not sure how we got to the bank, but when we did, we scrambled to each other and cried. We were both shaking and sweating and had the kind of cry when you cannot catch your breath. We had to wipe our running noses with our long wool stocking caps with the big ball on the end. The dogs were still barking and licked us as if they were telling us, “You knew better than that.” I took those darned skates off and put my boots on. We cried more and wiped our faces in the dogs’ fur.

In an attempt to be calm, cool, and collected, we gathered ourselves before going inside. We shed our gear and went to our rooms. We had a lot to think about and could not bring ourselves to talk about what had happened.

For all of these years, that was one of my most frightening moments. I will never forget the sound of my dogs, the sound of ice breaking, and the realization that our lives might be over. There was no 911 dispatch or even a fire station near our home. You had to dial an operator to locate help. It would have taken too long for anyone to help. We would have drowned for sure.

I hung those skates up, and I don’t think I ever skated outdoors again. My figure-skating dreams waned.

My sister and I have shared this story with our children and grandchildren in hopes that they would remember our warnings. Even now, when we speak of that day, we both become a bundle of nerves and tears. Much like the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the world might have been a very different place without us in it. I am grateful for the many life lessons I learned that day on the pond and the dogs in my life that loved me enough to save my life.

Humans and Animals Connect

Why do dogs love, comfort, and even save people? Is there truly a human-animal bond? Dogs have been recognized in history as having an honored position alongside their human companions. In fact, recent studies have defined animals as beneficial to humans emotionally and psychologically. E. O. Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis stated that humans have an emotional connection or fascination with other forms of life and nature, a sense of phylogenic relationship with all life on earth. The human-animal bond represents a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between humans and animals. Research suggests that strong bonds with pets might promote resilience in the face of adversity.

Love comes in many forms, including the connection between humans and animals. “The human-animal bond” is a term used widely to describe the strong empathy that exists between animals and people. People need empathy and compassion to develop and sustain that fellowship. Love and strong social bonds tend to buffer in the experience of adversity. The human-pet dynamics often satisfies needs in both animals and humans for companionship, emotional support, love, and nurturing.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) officially recognized the importance of this bond for their clients and community health and acknowledged that it has been in existence for thousands of years. The AVMA believes this partnership is important in medicine because it serves society and fulfills human and animal needs. A bond can be described as a close relationship or connection that is established between two living organisms, which is characterized by a strong attachment, involves emotions, and is often mutually cooperative.

Our society has been plagued with constant negativity and a lack of empathy and compassion and has been called a throwaway society. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture. Politics are ugly, technology is stressful, religion is struggling, and the economy is often unfortunate. Many people want a quick fix to their problems or they just throw the problems away.

By investing time with your children, families, and pets, you too can experience this vital relationship. This might sound anthropomorphic, but it is beneficial to talk to your pets. Stroke them, share your heart, your feelings. Have you ever cried with your dog? If not, try it! It often decreases anxiety, fear, and worry and will help wipe away your sadness. Toss in a treat or two and tell your dogs how much you love them.

Maybe you need to start over with your relationship with your dog. Dogs are very forgiving. They love us unconditionally and provide support, especially in a stressful situation. It is not complicated. Teach your children to follow your lead, helping future generations to be compassionate and responsible pet owners.

Dogs Make Life Better

There are many ways that dogs might save a life. Dogs can be trained to use their superb olfactory senses to detect bombs, ovarian cancer, drugs, fires, and many other dangers. Studies have shown that people who experience loneliness and are partnered with dogs will begin to take walks, engage in conversation with new people, and increase their exercise. They make new friends and desire to leave the shut-in life. Veterans with PTSD have decreased their symptoms when they have therapy or service dogs. There are many ways dogs make our lives better.

Dogs can bring out our best qualities. Before leaving for college, I dated a guy I believed to be wonderful. But he arrived at my house and was greeted by my 17-year old Setter, Spot. He shoved Spot and told me I needed to do “something with my old dog.” I remember the tears welling up in my eyes and the knot in my throat, strangling my breath. I will never forget his cold, vicious words. I became filled with grit and gumption, firmly asking him to leave as I helped Spot over the threshold into my house. We never spoke again. I did not throw away my old Spot for the guy. I protected Spot as he had protected me. Animals often mirror and reveal us. I loved and nurtured my relationship with Spot, and we were bonded. He was family

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