Mary in Illinois writes:
Love the blog. I have a problem and wonder if you can help. My dog has gone off the deep end. I think he is possessed. He pees everywhere and tears up all of the furniture. How do I tell if he really is possessed by demons? If he is what can I do?
Mary, thanks. These are the tough hitting questions we like at The Blog. I have three children, all of which were toddlers which means I know all about demon possessions. Truly I tell you, evil spirits abound in 2 year-olds. Back in the old days sniffing out the possessed was fairly simple. If the community suspected that someone was consumed by an demon they held them underwater. The logic went something like this-if the person floated, they were possessed and they burned them at the stake. If they drowned, then they were fine. Except that either way they were now DEAD! I doubt this type of old school approach is what you are after (and PETA would be less than pleased). So, let us try a different tact. First, start by trying to identify any stress creators in your dogs life. Have you recently moved? Is the dog in the family way perhaps (I mean, your sure its a boy, right)? Do you dress the dog in "cute" outfits, thus humiliating it in front of its peers? If you answered yes to any of these, then that could be the cause of Fido's freaking out.
What if you cannot identify the root of the problem? I suppose you could try sprinkling it with holy water, though if Hollywood is correct, and I like to think that the movies never lie to us, then your dog might start smoking and wither away into a stinky pile of canine hair. Or, if you have endless financial resources you could hire the doggie equivalent of Dr. Phil.
Tough choices, I know. But that is the nature of relationships. To truly love someone (or in this case something) is to allow them into our lives where they have the potential to do all sorts of good and wondrous things. And to make a mess of the carpet. Relationships require lots of time and energy and there are some days when you wonder if it is really worth it (in the case of toddlers you ask yourself that question most days).
Relationships require at least two people (or a person and a dog..or a person and a cat...or a cat and a dog...). We can only control how we act and react in our relationships, we can't make other people behave the way we want them to. If they chose not to respect us, care for us, and honor who we are then we have to make difficult decisions. Do we continue in the relationship or end it. There is no right or wrong answer. You will have to determine how much damage is too much.
The good news is that no matter what you opt to do you have a community that supports you. Its called the church and it means that you are not alone. Your dog, however, I am not so sure about.
Do you have a question for The Blog? Send us an email at revroger@tds.net.
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