In spite of stores jumping right from Halloween to Christmas, with barely a thought to Thanksgiving, I think most people had a minute or two for thanks this week. Besides being thankful for home and family, I am, always, thankful for the dogs in my life.

Even before Corgis, our first dog, Ginger, helped me make new friends when we moved to Concord, New Hampshire. We walked daily in the park and it wasn’t long before we met other dog walkers, and eventually, we would call each other so that we could walk together. One woman is still my friend, over 30 years later.

Pat Rapple is like a sister to me, but, if it hadn’t been for Corgis, and the fact that I owned and operated a boarding kennel, we never would have met. Pat and Larry had a Corgi named Jackson and wanted to board him. When I heard Jackson was a Corgi, I said, “We always have room for Corgis.”  I can’t imagine not ever knowing Pat and Larry. We’d have all managed, of course, but what a loss.

Dogs even led me to my involvement with the Cat Writers’ Association. I had written my first breed book and attended one of their writing conferences, hoping to meet with editors and get more writing jobs.  Besides meeting editors, I met many more people who loved animals of all kinds, and who became good friends.

Showing my dogs was always fun, and I still love to attend shows, just to see all the dogs, and to chat with other dog lovers.

I love the dogs for themselves, too, not just for their help in making friends. If I’ve spent too long at the computer, or am worried about something, playing fetch with Gael helps me stretch and clear my mind. I get out in the fresh air, and Gael’s joy at chasing, and bringing back, the ball makes me smile. And on that subject, when it snows, I am thankful for colored balls. They can still get lost in a drift, but the color makes them easier to find.

I’m also thankful for dogs in general. Dogs help humans in so many ways, from detecting bombs to leading the blind. Dogs help those who are deaf or hard of hearing as well, and law enforcement agencies use dogs for tracking people, for finding drugs or explosives, and, at airports, dogs can sniff out plants and fruits that may not be permitted into the country. A trained police dog can be sent into a building to find a suspect, saving an officer from danger.

Dogs help people in wheelchairs. They may help pull the chair, or they may just act as four-legged helpers, picking things up, opening and closing doors, or acting as support as the person transfers from the chair to a bed.

Dogs have helped many military personnel with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Dogs can reassure sufferers that they are safe, and can help provide a barrier in a crowd. Just the touch of a dog’s paw can end a flashback.

Those with Parkinson’s sometimes “freeze” when walking. A large dog offers support to prevent falling, and, often, once again, the touch of a paw can “un-freeze” the person.

Dogs are even taught to help those who may have epileptic seizures. While a dog can’t be taught to alert if a seizure is imminent, many dogs do, in fact, learn to recognize this, and they can encourage their owner to sit or lie down safely before they experience the seizure. In the same way, dogs of diabetics may sense when blood sugar drops dangerously low.

Dogs are used in schools and libraries as reading partners. Children who may have trouble reading are eager to read to their canine buddies, and they know the dogs won’t criticize. Therapy dogs are welcome visitors at nursing homes and hospitals. Dogs are even used in courtrooms to comfort children who may have to testify.

Just petting a dog can lower a person’s blood pressure, and, there have been studies that show that people may quit smoking if they have a dog because they don’t want to expose the dog to second-hand smoke.

Rhiannon and Gael aren’t trained to do anything beyond basic commands, but they brighten my days just by being here. It’s easy to overlook dust bunnies of dog hair, tracked-in mud and the occasional chewed chair rung when you’ve got a dog who loves you unconditionally.