I have been saved from death by dogs I think about four or five times in my life. I must tell all the stories. Needless to say I love dogs like crazy. When we turn to the lives of the Saints we see stories of all kinds of wonderful animals showing up; including Guardian Angel Dogs! God Bless them and a big Sirloin Steak to Every one!
I love the story of John Bosco's dog. He would show up when needed and protect Don Bosco. I have never been saved by a dog but our family dog was noble and wise and very very protective of all of us. He had an uncanny insight into who was good and who wasn't. And....he seemed to know when evil was present in our house. He would alert us. We couldn't see anything but he would stare fixedly, tensed for battle. A shake of holy water and he would immediately relax. I've never forgotten that.
My husband's Samoyed used to "play" with someone up by the ceiling. He would stare and wag and go get his ball. I always hoped it was an angel. I always keep dogs as they are so in tune to spiritual things. I always say when the Newfies are snoring at night, everything's all right! '
My late paternal grandfather was saved by the family collie. He was attacked by a bull and would have been gored and crushed to death but for our dog repeatedly grabbing the bull's nose-ring with his teeth and pulling the bull's head away. He kept my grandfather safe until my father managed to get to him with a pitch-fork and drive the bull away. There's a book 'In Quest of Catholicity', in which eminent scientist Wolfgang Smith interviews Fr Malachi Martin on multiple matters Catholic. In an aside, they speak of dogs and both agree to conclude that dogs form part of the angelic realm. So the title of this thread is fitting.
I was attacked by a dog when I was 11 and have had a fear of them ever since, which I am trying to overcome now with the help of therapy. I don't really understand dog people, I'm more of a cat person Maybe these nice dog stories will help me.
Exorcists tell us that the animal Devils hate worst are dogs, because they are so close a friend to mankind. Perhaps also because they are sensitive to all kinds of evil.
Collies are the smartest of all the dogs breeds and love their work. My mothers folk came from the Glens of Antrim were they love their sheep. She told me about her uncle who was a shepherd and had a loyal collie. When he died the dog would not eat and she recalls it standing at the window staring as the Hearse went past. The dog died a week later , she said, of a broken heart. Working collies live solely for their work. They are not really pets. Our Blessed Lady's parents St.s Anna and Joachim kept a large herd of sheep. I wonder if they had sheepdogs? From the words of Our Lord were he often talks of farm things it seems clear to me that Jesus may have minded His grandparents sheep on occasion.
When I was about two years old my parents moved to their second home in West Belfast. At the time my father had two or three German Shepherds and was breeding from them. The house we living in had just been built and was on the site of a large Bog called the Bog Meadows. This bog was quite dangerous. I mean even if an adult went into it they might never come out, it was really, really deep. A little bit of the Bog was undrained in our back garden. My mother told me she looked out of the kitchen window one of the German Shepherds had me by the scruff of the neck with her teeth out of the bog. She said if it were not for the dogs doing this she thinks I would have drowned. I would have been about two years old. Shortly after this my parents came back to the house and found all the dogs dead. The gas had been turned on on the oven and had killed them on. My father thought one of the dogs might have jumped up on the oven and turned the gas on accidently. But I don't think so; I think something else turned on the gas. Something that wasn't too happy about the dogs being there.
I've had two collies lately and neither of them has done a tap of work! Lovely house dogs and self-trained to their toileting immediately. I think it's more true to say that my collies have me-a dog's life, how are you? The first bought and sold me and the latest is nearly worse.
It's not what you'd expect. Still, if it's true that dogs are in the angelic realm, it's logical to think that an odd one might be a fallen angel.
St Nicholas, upon whom Santa Claus is based, was not only kindly to children and a stout, pugilistic defender of the Faith, but also, I believe, a lover of cats. So, you're in very good company. In Cyprus, there is a Holy Monastery of St Nicholas of the Cats.
I was attacked by a large guard dog when I was 5. It was my fault he was tied in a yard and I approached him. I don't remember anything after approaching him but I was injured and taken to the hospital by ambulance. The dog was ordered to be put down and the kids in that family that owned the dog never let me forget that fact which was very hard for me. However, my family had a terrier at the time and I was taught NOT to fear dogs, but was taught to treat them with respect. So anyway for me, it did not make me fear dogs, but I have always felt terrible that the family had to lose their dog over my actions. I DO remember one of my new Penny Loafer shoes was never found and I was very upset about that because I had put two brand new pennies in them....LOL
After reading the book of Tobit, and reading that the Angel brought his dog on the journey, I was convinced that Raphael's dog must have been a Newfie, (it caught a fish, Newfies do that...) and so my very first Newf was named Raphael after the Angel.
We had a dog that was from puppy hood a Bad Seed. Even the trainer admitted it. We had to get rid of it. Apparently he was an Alpha dog and wanted to "rule" us. All the training in the world couldn't train it out of him. So away he went.
