An Extremely Dedicated Dog

An article in Yahoo News/The Side Show, on September 13, 2012, by reporter Eric Pfieffer, entitled "Dog stands guard over deceased owner's grave for six years," informs readers of an extraordinary bond between master and dog.  In the article, Pfieffer describes the dog, Capiton's, inexplicable behavior after his master's death.  This story comes to us from central Argentina.

Miguel Guzman adopted Capitan, a German Shepherd dog, in 2005 as a gift for his son, Damian.    Mr. Guzman died a year later in 2006, and after his burial the family discovered Capiton had disappeared.  They could not find him anywhere and were sure that he must have gotten killed somehow .  A week after Mr. Guzman passed away, the family went to the cemetery to visit his grave, and to Damian's amazement, there was Capiton sitting beside Mr. Guzman's grave.  Capiton ran up to the family barking and howling as if he were crying.  The family was so happy to have found their dog.  They tried taking Capiton home many times, but he would always find his way back to the cemetery regardless of what they did.  One of the strangest things about this story is that, according to Mr. Guzman's widow, Veronica, the family had never taken Capiton to that cemetery in the past. 

The cemetery director and his workers said Capiton turned up there one day, alone, and wandered around the cemetery until he found his master's grave.  He sometimes leaves the grave during the day for a while, but always hurries back to keep watch.  Every night he returns at six o'clock sharp, and lays down on the grave to stay throughout the night.  He has been doing this now for six years.  The cemetery staff started feeding and taking care of Capiton because it was obvious he was not going to leave Mr. Guzman's side.  Quote from Damian, "I think he's going to be there until he dies too. He's looking after my dad."

Reading this article verified for me that an extraordinary bond can occur between a dog and his master if they share love and respect.  This article caught my eye because I own a dog that I am extremely close to and have a strong bond with.  I have gained a new respect for this amazing animal. 

In conclusion, Mr. Guzman unknowingly taught us that our relationship with our dog can be far more complex than we can ever fathom.  This article encourages me to want to learn more about canine senses.