"A dog is the only thing in the world that loves you more than you love yourself."  Josh Billings

One day, I was working on the computer, and out of the corner of my eye, I was watching a television talk show in the middle of the afternoon.  The show was about a variety of things, but what caught my attention was the part where they were talking about something called the Heimlic maneuver, which I would describe as the following;

An emergency technique used to eject an object, such as food from the trachea of a choking person.  The technique employees a firm upward thrust just below the rib cage to force air from the lungs.

I had heard about the technique before, but I had never used it and I had never seen it used by anyone.  But, what was interesting on the show, is that they were talking about how the technique could not only be used on humans...but, how the technique could be used on pets, too.  This caught my interest and I stopped working on the computer and watched and listened to what was being said, etc.

I was hoping that I would never have to use the technique on Daniel, but you never know...dogs are so unpredictable in their behavior.  A further description of the technique, is to...

Grab a human from the back-side in a bear-hug and apply pressure in the stomach area to force the object choking the person out, and force air in.  (that's as good as I can explain it) 

I didn't know the technique could apply to pets as well, so I learned something new that day.  I took a few notes that day, that may come in handy for the future.

"There is no faith which has never been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog."  Konrad Lorenz

When it came to walking and jogging, I have been doing it since 1986...15 miles a week, and in 2008, that translates to over 17,000 miles!  I would take Daniel out with me, and he loved to get out in the open spaces and run!  I would jog in this huge open field, and take him off the leash and let him run free.  But, I would always keep an eye on him.  He took off after a rabbitt once, and crossed the highway, and almost got run over, so I watch him closely.  Dogs don't know anything about looking both ways when they cross the street!

On this day, it was a hot August afternoon, when Daniel and I were out jogging.  As I said earlier, I don't have a lot of experience with dogs, but it seems like they're always hungry...always looking for something to eat!  Even if they are just finished eating...they're still looking for something to eat...and if they find it...they'll eat it, etc.  There are a lot of dangerous things out there waiting for a dog...like antifreeze, which will kill them, and sharp bird bones, that can kill them, etc.

"The better I get to know men...the more I find myself loving dogs."  Charles de Gaulle

Instead of naming him "Daniel" I should have named him "Hoover" because he always wants to suck up everything in sight, and I have to watch him like a little baby!  Anyway, we were out in the field jogging and then cooling off, and Daniel was about 20 yards behind me, and I would check on him from time to time to make sure he was okay.  And then it happened...

I looked back to check on him, and he had something in his mouth!  It looked like an old piece of hamburger meat!  I screamed at him...DANIEL DROP IT...DROP IT DANIEL.  I screamed at him for a few seconds, as I started to run toward him!  But, instead of dropping the object...he swallowed it!  In an instant, he was upside down...choking and sufficating!  His little legs were going a mile a minute, as he struggled to get air!

As I see this, I came apart!  I raced up to Daniel as fast as I could, but what was I going to do to save this dog?  I only had a few seconds to act, and he was going to die, if I didn't act!  I had to do something FAST...and it was PANIC TIME...and there was nobody around to help me!  Very quickly, I remembered the television show about the Heimlic maneuver...but, how would I do it to Daniel...he was so small!  I couldn't get him in a bear-hug to force the object out of his throat!  Daniel was dying...and tears were streaming down my face, and I was terrifyed that he was going to did in my arms!

Sweat was pouring down my face by the gallons as I thought of what to do!  I picked up Daniel be the fur on the back on the neck, and punched him in the stomach...NOTHING HAPPENED!  I panicked even more when nothing happened.  I was going to lose Daniel for sure!  Thinking I didn't hit Daniel hard enough...I was going to have to hit him harder, even if I hurt him...it was better to have a couple broken ribs, than a dead dog, etc.

I had never been so freightened in my life...as the seconds ticked away!  Sweat and tears were pouring down my face and getting in my eyes!  I quickly decided to give Daniel one of my best Mohaamed Ali punches just below the rib cage.  I DID THAT...punched him hard...and the object came flying out of his mouth, and landed about six feet away!   Daniel could breath now...and I didn't care if I hurt him or not...this was a matter of life and death! 

In just a few seconds, I was exhausted!  Sweat and tears coming down my face!  Daniel was going to be okay, and I laid him on the ground and let him rest a bit, as he lay there quietly, as I tried to pull myself back together.  He looked up at me with those glassy brown eyes, as if to say, "thanks."  I must have lost 30 pounds in 30 seconds that day, and I cannot express the relief I felf when Daniel would be all right.  We were both exhausted!

I let Daniel rest on the ground for about ten minutes, but I didn't want him out in the sun too long, so it was time to go back to the car.  I got him up on his feet, and he looked at me, as if he wanted to go out and find more trouble, and I gently put him over my shoulder and headed back to the car!  I have to say, that those were the most terrifying 30 seconds in my lifetime...but all was a happy ending after all. 

"A person who has never owned a dog, has missed a wonderful part of life."  Bob Barker

A few days later, I told one of my neighbors about the incident with Daniel, because he too, had a dog and the story was interesting to him.  Amazingly, an incident with his dog happened to him a couple of weeks later.

The neighbor's dog must have eaten something that didn't agree with him, and the dog got violently sick!  The dog was laying on its side...throwing up and having trouble breathing!  The neighbor remembered the story I told him about Daniel, so he punched his dog in the stomach, between the rib cage, and the dog began to throw up!  But, the dog was still having trouble breathing, and he thought the dog might choke on his own vomit, so he punched the dog again in the stomach a second time!

More and more vomit came out of the dog, and he was now able to breath on his own!  The dog's life was saved, and it was another happy ending! 

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