Four-Footed Angels

Original Photo by Author

Our Brittany, Cooper, woke my husband up several nights at around the same hour. He didn’t ask to go out or seem to want anything other than to wake my husband. We’d read stories of dogs alerting to their master’s health issue, but my husband couldn’t recall waking with any discomfort.

One evening a few months later, we watched a historical movie about women spies in WWII and the violence they endured at the hands of the Nazis. That night, I had a nightmare. I was trapped in a house with an abusive stranger. I escaped the building and ran down the long drive toward the street, hoping passersby would help. The man caught me before I reached the street, but I was close enough to see the passing cars. He swung a heavy board at me. I screamed and kept screaming, praying my screams would attract people’s attention.  

Cooper woke me up. He alerted to my distress even though I know I hadn’t made a sound.

Now we understood why he woke my husband. As a retired police officer, he is prone to nightmares, a form of PTSD, not uncommon among law enforcement.

Besides guarding our house and alerting us to anything out of the ordinary, Cooper also guards us from emotional distress. We didn’t train him to do any of these things. They are innate. He is intelligent and perceptive, but this is a whole new level.

We are blessed to have this four-footed angel as our companion.

Have you had an unusual experience with a furry companion?