Glenn, the dog world and the impact created by dogs and the people within all the different aspects of our individual sports or occupations in dogs is smaller and linked tighter than we all think.
Many times during my stint in dogs have I been reminded by how close we all really are.
Allow me to tell everyone an experience that simply floored me with how much impact a dog can have on someone and at the same time the closeness generated and experienced within this very small yet marvelous world we rent space in.
My Malinois Axel and I were the first dog handler team to train to a Ring III in North America and then go to France and trial there in our Sport.
I was in awe at the club in Grutzwald were I trialed in. Grutzwald is in France but very, very close to the German Border.
The main square in Grutzwald has a very large memorial to the American Soldiers who liberated them during the war and as we passed it was covered even that many years since that war in endless fresh cut flowers.
We had a lot of fun and we even competed against the lengendary Primo Orlandini who is nicknamed the Magician in World Ring Circles because of his unique training tricks to get the outstanding scores he did and the students who tutered under him.
The experience of going and playing in France was without a doubt an event to be remembered for me.
Glenn, the most important event of that trip was on the plane ride home and it taught me a very valuable lesson about life.
I was to fly home to Canada on Air France. Just moments before boarding was to take place the flight was cancelled for some unknown reason other than fate itself.
This was not a real inconvience as they bumped me to an Air Canada flight that was boarding within a few minutes. so, no big problem other than my wife would not know which Terminal to expect me to land at in Toronto.
I rushed to the Air Canada Counter and asked the lady there if it was at all possible that I could get a seat on the new flight with a bit of extra leg room.
She tells me that today is my lucky day.
Yes it was, just as my whole past week with the top Ringsport people in France had been.
This trip home was going to be no different.
She tells me that if I do not mind sitting in the upper deck of the 747 in the very front row with a blank wall in front of me that there was a seat with an extra two feet of space.
These long and tired old decoy legs said Yes, Mine and point me towards the security doors so I can go home.
We take off and are in the air for about three hours somewhere over the middle of the Atlantic. I am in a bank of three seats direct in the middle with a gentleman on my right who has the window seat and on my left in the aisle seat is a very young girl about 10 years old.
It was time for me to do some catch up on paper work for my own Ringclub and had a few more hours to kill before the first landing in Montreal.
I reach up to the Carry On Bunk above my head and pull down my briefcase which has about 50 stickers from different Police K9 Units and Ring Clubs from around the world that I have had the privilage of working with.
This little ten year old girl was entranced with the dog stickers and I could see that she was really figiting over the open case beside her and all the pics of GSD and Malinois etc.
So, I turn and ask her if she likes dogs.
Glen, the world became so small in the next few moments that it did have an effect on my life instantly.
She as bold as brass responds.
"Mr. Cudahy, yes I do like dogs"
I am stuned and Ask, " How do you know who I am. I do not ever remember meeting you before"
She with the air of confidence I have never seen before in a child responds with.
" My Daddy and I saw you on Stage giving a talk to the audience at the Sportsman Show in Toronto and you had a dog named Axel and you talked about Drugs and how dogs were so important to the fight against drugs and also gave the children some hints how to avoid bad people offering drugs."
Glenn, I replyed to this little one.
" That is simply amazing that you would remember not only my name and Axel as being there but that show that you are talking about was 5 years prior to this chance meeting on the plane. This is such a plesant surprise."
Her recolection of the stage show I was doing puts her at about 5 years of age.
I go on and tell this young one that I have Axel with me on the plane and would love it if she could help me in Toronto to move some of my gear and at the same time I can pull the Axe Man out for her personal inspection.
She is estatic, and says yes, right away.
Small world gets even smaller now Glen.
She askes me if I would like to say hello to her dad who also is on the plane.
I say yes and assume he is a passenger and displaced as I was because of the bump in the airport in Paris.
She leaves but goes direct into the cockpit and returns and grabs my hand to meet with the father who turns out to be the Captain of this flight.
I spent the remainder of the 4 or so hours in the cockpit including the landing in Montreal, the take off from montreal and the final landing in Toronto.
Breath taking to say the least
Small world and a child who was 5 when she first saw my dog and myself was so impacted by the dog that a message that I was given was heard and remembered.
We in the dog world are blessed and I am so gratefull that I am a part of this great game called dogs.
Jerry Cudahy
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