# 85: Dogs
By: Silke Schmidt
Tags: Animals, Books, Dogs, Humanism, Compassion

Lindnord, Mikael (2016). Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Djungle to Find a Home.

Story behind the Passage

It is so funny but I just noticed today that I have not blogged about dogs so far. That is surprising because dogs are so important to me — animals are in general. Since I blog about topics that I think about on a daily basis, it might seem as if I did not think about dogs. That is just not right. I love dogs and I think a lot about them. Today, however, I learned that an acquaintance of mine, a former teacher, also has a dog now. He sent me a picture and a short video of the puppy. It is so cute!

Well, this kind of breed he has will grow out of the cutie size soon and grow into quite a huge dog. But all this does not matter so much. I love every dog — at least, as long as they still look like dogs (the super mini-sized ones sometimes lack this doggy look). The curious thing is that with some people, I never thought of them as (potential) dog owners. You know, it is the same with parents. There are some people — men and women — that I just cannot imagine as parents. I am not saying that they would not be good parents. They are just stored in my head — the repository of stereotypes — under the category: no ‘typical’ parents or dog owners.

So, this particular finding today makes me talk about the matter today. I immediately went to my shelf now and grabbed the book Arthur. I think, I saw this book by chance in the book section of a large supermarket a couple of years ago. Whenever I read a blurb that contains “extreme sports” and “dogs” — I have to buy the book. And I am usually rewarded. That is related to the fact that if you love animals, in this case dogs, you have such a positive bias that you will almost love any story, no matter how exciting it is in objective terms.

My Learnings

“Meeting Arthur and bringing him home is the single best thing I have ever done.” The book tells the true story of how Lindnord met Arthur — or vice versa — in the middle of an extreme adventure race in the djungle of Ecuador. After their initial encounter, the dog does not leave the group and Lindnord cannot imagine leaving Arthur after the race. He undertakes immense efforts to take him home to his family in Sweden. The dog has to stay in quarantine for several months and undergo a serious dental surgery before finally being able to move in with the family. As I just found out when googling for the English version of the book, there is already a follow-up book out which describes Arthur’s adventures as a family dog.

Anyway, I am not writing about the book to promote it. I am writing about it, and especially this opening quotation, because the story shows how close you can get to a dog that came out of nowhere. In total, the race only lasted some days and required all strength and endurance on the part of the participants. But the time that Arthur accompanied them through mud and danger changed everything. A man who never wanted a dog and did not particularly like dogs in the past grew so close to a dog that he could not imagine leaving him behind.

The thing is, you do not have to be an extreme adventure athlete to experience such a miracle. For sure, the intense time during the race which is really a survival run caused a special emotional tension in Lindnord. Still, even without these circumstances, people who never really dreamed of becoming dog parents can literally fall in love with a dog. I think, the reason is not only because dogs might look cute or because some breeds might be in fashion. The point is: From my perspective, you really fall in love with dogs because you admire them — you develop a deep respect for their character and their abilities.

Just now in the middle of Covid, we have seen that dogs are already being used at airports to sniff the disease in passengers. And they correctly identify positive cases. Whenever there is an earthquake and people get buried underneath the ruins of houses, we see how dogs help save lives by tracing the victims. For people with disabilities — physically and/or mentally — dogs are irreplaceable daily assistants. Without them, some people for sure would either not be alive anymore or they would live lives that were much more miserable.

Of course, we all know these things. I am just enumerating these examples because to me, they are breathtaking. It is simply amazing to witness when a blind person is guided by a dog. The life of the blind person is literally in the paws of the dog. If they cross a street and the dog makes a mistake, both of their lives are endangered. But you do not only have to look at these extreme cases. I would say: Everyone who owns a dog can witness the miracles that dogs are able to come up with. They are able to hear the car of your spouse long before you notice it. They feel if something is wrong with you. They ‘talk’ to you to express whatever is on their mind.

All these things become daily routine for dog owners but to me, these things remain so precious and partly incredible that I consciously make myself aware of how valuable such a dog-human relationship is. And for many people, especially some elderly, their dog is the only companion who is left. You do not have to belittle these people. On the contrary, as one can often witnesses, this one companion means everything to them. Yes, you should not equate humans with animals. But I am doing it anyways because I know how deep the bond between animals and people can be. Yes, pets bring happiness and a sense of purpose to people. The dog relies on you but so do you in a way. Even though you are the boss in this relationship, the dog equally becomes an incremental part of your life.

The reason why this bond that forms between Lindnorm and Arthur is remarkable is because, as he states in the quote, he never wanted a dog. I have witnessed the same thing in people around me. Yes, I am an animal lover anyways. So, any dog crossing my way has no difficulty of winning my heart. But especially people who are not that much into animals, who might even be afraid of dogs, can lose their heart. As with any deep relationship, it takes time for the bond to form. But it does happen. The magic power of dogs is able to win human hearts.

With respect to all the troubles that Lindnorm went through to bring Arthur home, some people who cannot understand the bond between humans and animals, between man and dog, might simply judge it as ‘disproportionate.’ Spending so much energy on raising funds and even winning political support to get the legal permission to import a dog might simply be taken as something that only people in rich Western societies can come up with. After all, legally, animals/pets are things, they are objects and therefore do not need human treatment.

For anybody who has this deep connection to dogs — and this does not have to apply to all owners — there is no “too much” when it comes to the time and money invested into the pet. I know quite a few people who are poor. They do not have much to eat, they cannot take part in ‘social life’ (the kind of cultural participation that people miss during Covid), they have no luxuries in their daily routine, not even some fancy coffee at the bakery. But they have their dog, their companion, their partner, and every dime goes into the well-being of this creature. And I do not mean they pamper the dog — I simply mean they give him/her everything that is needed for a decent life.

Hence, as with any third-party judgement, there is no “disproportionate” when it comes to the human-dog relationship. I know that I would have done exactly what Lindnorm did. I would have taken Arthur home, even if I had lacked any money. I know, I would have managed. I have always managed whenever something seemed impossible. Nearly anything is possible for dogs. They surprise you every day with their outstanding compassion and sensitivity. Of course, this applies to many other animals as well, but I decided to focus on dogs today. As Lindnorm writes on the last page of the story:

“I have a friend whose loyalty and affection I can trust in until the end of our days. And Arthur knows for sure that he can rely on me.” — Lindnorm 215

Reflection Questions

1) What do animals mean to you?

2) Can you understand that some people prefer pets over human company?

3) How do you think about people who are into extreme sports (e.g., ultra-marathons, adventure races, free climbing)?