When Craig adopted a golden retriever from an animal shelter, he thought they would become best friends. At first, Charlie seemed happy in his new home. But soon, Craig began to notice something strange about his new dog.
Charlie would stand by his bed and watch him sleep every night, and his pet's odd behavior soon became a cause for concern for him. But, little did he know, his dog was actually trying to tell him something...
Strange Behavior
Craig initially thought his dog was acting this way because he had a difficult past and carried some emotional baggage. He had fitted his bedroom door with a gate, preventing Charlie from entering the room at night while he was asleep.
But his dog would wait at the gate. Was Charlie adjusting to the new surroundings? Or was something bothering him?
Healthy Dog
Charlie continued to watch Craig and his girlfriend sleep for weeks, and they became worried that something was wrong with their new pet.
Craig took his dog to a veterinary clinic for a checkup, thinking something was amiss with his health. But the vet confirmed that Charlie was a healthy dog. If everything was fine with his beloved pet, then why would he refuse to sleep at night?
Mystery
Craig and his girlfriend were determined to find out the cause of Charlie's strange behavior, so they decided to visit the animal shelter to see if the staff could shed some light on this.
It turned out that they knew why Charlie was behaving this way.
Abandonment
The staff told Craig and his girlfriend a sad story about their dog and how the previous owner abandoned him at the animal shelter when his wife became pregnant.
The couple decided that raising a child and keeping a dog was too much for them to handle, so they left him at the shelter. The former owner waited for Charlie to fall asleep before driving him to the shelter because he couldn't bear seeing his face as he walked away forever.
Trauma
This experience traumatized Charlie. He woke up alone in an unfamiliar place without his family. Every day, he hoped his owner would come for him, but he never did.
The poor dog didn't know what he did to deserve this treatment. He loved his owners with all his heart. Upon hearing the story, Craig and his girlfriend understood why their dog refused to fall asleep. But would they be able to fix this problem?
Trust Problems
Charlie was heartbroken, and he was having a hard time trusting his new owners. He feared they would abandon him, too.
When Craig and his girlfriend returned home later that day, they removed the gate from their bedroom door and allowed Charlie to sleep in the same room as them. They hoped it would help to build up their dog's trust in people once more.
Feeling Sadness
Craig and his girlfriend were so sad for Charlie. How could someone just abandon their best friend? What kind of person is this?
Craig also wanted other people to learn from his story, so he shared his experience online. A few days later, his post went viral!
A Reminder
Craig's post touched the hearts of people all over the world, who also couldn't understand how Charlie's previous owner could just abandon him.
In his post, Craig wanted to remind people that dogs and cats have feelings, too.
Oxytocin
Dogs have the same brain structures as humans, and they even produce oxytocin - the hormone that creates the sensation of love.
But that's not all.
Emotional Experiences
Animals share similar emotional experiences as young children. They can express sadness and happiness just like toddlers.
However, dogs have been shown to display more complex emotions like frustration and jealousy. Many people believe they have their own set of values and principles.
Simple Emotions
Some researchers have concluded that all dogs can feel simple emotions such as fear, joy, and anger.
So, it's completely understandable that Charlie was afraid to trust people again after being abandoned by his previous owner. But can dogs also feel love?
Love And Fear
Like humans, dogs can also feel love. We hope this will be Charlie's prevalent emotion toward his new owners.
Another emotion that all dogs share is fear. Even the big dogs that bark and jump on people are perfectly capable of feeling fear.
Joy
Another emotion that they share with people is joy. When dogs are feeling happy, they huff happily, pounce, and prance.
A joyful dog is happy and content.
The Ability To Love
Some experts believe that dogs have the ability to love humans and other dogs. “The hormone oxytocin is produced by dogs, and their owners have now been confirmed to increase with positive interaction,” dog trainer Jodi Cassell said in an interview.
“I would say that we can affirm right now that dogs experience attachment (call it love if you will) as well as joy.”