MY FRIEND, WINNIEFRED

Blog City Prompt: Do you believe humans and animals have a spiritual connection that isn’t necessarily dependent on the language? Have you had any incidents of this with the animals in your life?

Oh yes. I had Winniefred for over fourteen years. She came as a birthday gift, just a tiny fluf. She grew into a beautiful multicolored Australian crossed with a Dingo, essentially bred for Sheep herding. Her earliest training was by a male Siamese who taught her to play and to respect cats.

I was working as Artistic Director, and Choreographer for a regional semi-professional theater in Carmel Valley, CA. I taught a dance class every day for the theater company. From her earliest time with me, Winnierfred stayed where ever I was working. She had a towel under the ballet bar and learned very quickly that "Stay" meant no moving or making noise. When the break came, she circulated among the actors and dancers greeting and being loved.

Then when we started touring performances for children at schools across California, Winniefred was always with us. As a herd dog she claimed each person in the group and constantly circulated to check on each one. Sometime we had to go have lunch with the teachers leaving our sets and costume trunks on the stage to be set up. Winnie would stay with the gear and never leave it. Curious students or teachers would be warned by a serious growl to stay back. In her entire life, she never bit or actually harmed another person. The car and theater truck were seriously guarded with snarling fangs on the other side of the window,

After a show in a school we visited the classrooms and Winnie allowed groups of twent;y or so children to pet her. Later there were several stage shows that she was a performer. She waited impatiently off-stage for her cue line to be said. She would always burst onstage with full energy.

Even later we moved to Hollywood and the first film I worked on hired Winniefred to be a dog that is murdered by the evil killer. She was perfect and even froze for the closeup with a fake knife glued to her chest. What an actress!

Then we visited a horse ranch occasionally. That was heaven for Winniefred. She ran with the horses on long trail rides, mud;dy, hot, tongue hanging out. And a couple of times she managed to herd a group of yearlings that were free on the ranch. Of course, sheep were a special treat. She knew hand signals and responded to those. Chasing a tennis ball on land on in the pool was a daily game.

She knew so many words and commands or instruction were just part of normal language. Once in Yellowstone, a bear stood up at the car window with paws on the glass. Winnierfred never forgot that moment. Any mention of the word 'bear' would send her into a frenzy of looking and watching.

We stayed in some pretty fancy hotels, sneaked in the back way and they never knew she was there. She could bark big time, but never in the hotel. She had so many friends, loving them all.

She died in my arms. A dear, loving friend I shall never forget.

 WINNIEFRED