Another Dog Tail

This small ceramic ornament is part of the Hallmark ornament collection. We got it because we had a brown dog named Ginger. We got her in Utah, moved her with us to Texas for our first full-time Army assignment, and then to Germany for our next one. She was a friendly, gentle Labrador/Weimaraner mix. Though not as clever as Solomon, she was much wiser. She had a knack for responding to people’s moods and feelings. We knew she was responsive to family, but until an incident in a German hospital, we did not know this extended to others.

Germany is a very dog-friendly country. It is possible to take dogs many places we usually do not in the US. Many restaurants, public transportation, and even hospitals welcome a well-behaved dog. We found this out when Layden got a call requesting a military Chaplain to assist with an American woman who had been admitted to a German hospital. She was not doing well. We had been out on a walk with Ginger and the hospital was nearby, so we headed straight there. Layden got out of the car and the dog tried to follow. A hospital attendant noticed me putting her back in the car and asked if we were there to visit someone . I said yes. She let me know that it would be ok for me to take the dog inside. So, I did. We caught up with Layden who was trying to communicate with the woman. She was unresponsive to his efforts. When Ginger got in the room, she immediately sensed the sadness and promptly laid her head in the woman’s lap. Soon the woman was petting Ginger, and then talking to her, and eventually talking to the Chaplain. We brought the dog on subsequent visits. It made a huge difference in her recovery. After this experience, Layden would take Ginger with him when he made informal visits to soldiers, especially Sunday afternoons when he would visit the barracks. Ginger was a welcome addition for everyone, made many friends, and lifted many spirits. It doesn’t always require a PhD in counseling to have a positive impact on mental/emotional health.