Opening our hearts to pets involves acknowledging that pets know things we don't know. They see, hear, sense things that escape us. Things we never notice, or things we overlook. I believe in the future, humans will work with animals to accomplish things using the animals' special sensory talents. I know in some cases they already are (dogs who detect cancer; birds who alert to seizures, etc.)...

The other morning, our dog Farley was sitting staring into the laundry room. "For no reason." Ha! I should know better.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Farley?" She looks up at me and returns then to staring into the laundry room. The light is off in there. There is no window. Just 10 feet or so of floor. The door to the garage. The washer and dryer.

I go into my office. Time passes.
I take a break. Farley is still there.

"What's going on, Farley? Why are you staring at the laundry room?"
She looks at me, she stares into the laundry room. I go back to work.

Lunchtime. She's still there. NOW, I decide to investigate. (Have the dogs been placing bets on how long it takes me to catch on?).
There is a plastic bag of the kitchen trash by the back door. Like there often is, waiting for the next person to go out to the car and put it in the trashcan. I decide to do that. I pick it up. ANTS! scurry down the side of the bag and onto the floor. (Drat! Mark was right about putting those leftovers in the trash instead of the freezer!)

That's what Farley was looking at! She was a smart girl and wasn't going to let those ants come into the main part of the house.

Years ago another smart dog, Buster, was sitting in front of my apartment door; on the front stoop. Buster knew everyone in the small Spanish style building where I lived back then, in Florida. All of a sudden, I hear this agitated barking. I run outside to find Buster taking off (huffing and puffing, poor Buster was a bit hefty) after a man walking across the length of the expansive front lawn, to the sidewalk and street. I yelled 'Stop, Buster! Stop!" ... don't bother that man, Buster. Until... I later found out that man was not carrying only a backpack on his back, but a VCR and a backpack. He had just robbed my next door neighbor; climbed in a window and exited the door. Buster was doing his job and I wasn't helping whatsoever!

Have you any stories about your pet and how they were smarter than you and just seemed to be waiting for you to "get it"?

I'd love to hear about it. The best story will win the next contest.

CONTEST RULES: Tell us about a time when your pet knew more than you did.
Deadline: July 30th, 2008
THE PRIZE: A signed print of "Flying Pigs" the illustration shown at the top of today's blog.
EMAIL your entry to me at OYH.PETS@gmail.com.
Include a photo of your pet, too, if you want.
Legal: This contest is being conducted by Janice Phelps Williams, a reader blogger, and is independent of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
By submitting your story, you agree to allow the story to be published in this online blog and in any future article or book written by Janice Phelps Williams who agrees to give credit to the person who submitted the story.

Postscript:
Congratulations to Cheryl English, winner of the June/July contest here at Open Your Heart with Pets. Cheryl wrote about her dog, Beaner, and how he brought humor to their family's Christmas celebrations.

When my dog, Beaner, was a puppy, I would tell him the Santa Beagle was coming at Christmas time. He would get all excited. I taught him how to open Christmas presents, then I would cheer him on, and clap. He would take his mouth and paws and open the gifts. He would throw the pieces of wrapping away from the gift with his mouth. Then take the toy and walk around with it in his mouth. He was so proud of himself.

So when Beaner was about 3 years old, he got up before everyone else that Christmas morning, and thought that the Santa Beagle was really generous that year. He went into the living room and opened every gift under our Christmas tree. When my 2 sons got up on Christmas morning, they had no presents to open, because Beaner had opened them all. My husband and I just laughed. Our kids were not very happy with Beaner that day. It will live in my memory forever.

You can't blame a dog for trying, to think that the Santa Beagle can be just as generous to them as to my 2 sons. After all, they too are a big part of your family.

Beaner touched my heart in so many ways. My heart is still broken, after losing him to cancer on April 3, 2008. He was 14 1/2 years old.

My good news is, before he got real bad with the cancer, I rescued a puppy, and she spent 2 years with Beaner before he died. Schatzie became his best friend. And yes, the tradition continues, he taught her how to open presents. She also misses him so much. At least she got to know him. What a great honor.

I know why when you spell dog backwards it spells God. They are truly gifts from God. Hug your dog every day, and tell them you love them. They are your family too.
Cheryl English