Tag Archives: canine instinct

Stormy Weather

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks here in Denver! Having moved from the East Coast less than a year ago, I was expecting 80-90 degrees of dry heat from about June through September. Needless to say, the non-stop storms we’ve been experiencing have been a bit of a surprise. While it’s good to see the sprinklers (hopefully) turned off for a bit, the torrential downpours, terrifying thunder and lightning, and canoes making their way down Colfax have definitely been a bit much. It’s fair to say that it’s been raining cats and dogs!

Of course, as Pet Parents, our first thoughts in these situations tend to be “OH MY GOODNESS! IS MY BABY OK??” This was me last night, anyway, stranded at my friend’s house knowing poor Bosco was probably petrified (I even started to imagine regression into peeing or pooping in the house). When I finally did make it home, shivering and drenched, Bosco was just sleeping, seemingly unaware of the storm and quite puzzled as to why I was so wet.

While I know some dogs really are very much afraid of storms and bad weather, this incident reminded me of how inclined we are to forget true canine instinct. Sure, pups sleep in beds, eat packaged food, play with toys and, all in all, could not successfully make it on their own for more than just a few days. But, like us, they have experienced storms and rain and snow and natural disasters for thousands and thousands of years, both in the wild and as domesticated creatures and they’ve lived to tell the tale (tail?). I guess this was a reminder, at least for me, to respect and acknowledge the wild within our furry friends.

Stay dry everyone!