A dog gang dream: Loneliness and the power of connection

I had a terrible nightmare on Wednesday night. I dreamt the dogs in our complex formed a gang and they caused havoc. They ripped refuse bags open, growled at residents and bit the gardeners.

None of the gang members were big dogs – residents aren’t allowed to keep dogs “who stand higher than the knee”. But they became a big problem.

I noticed that our miniature pinscher, Rocky, had joined the gang. As the smallest mutt in the group, he wasn’t entrusted with elite gangsterism such as barking at the security guards, but he smiled broadly as he was running just behind the leader of the pack.

The gang leader, a nasty piece of work who growled at me, was a pincher cross, but much bigger (and uglier) than our family pet.

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“That group leader is your dog, you’ll have to appear before the board of trustees to explain,” the managing agent told me on the phone.

“It’s not our dog. Our dog is that small one behind him. The little one with the toothy grin.”

But she didn’t want to listen.

“Tuesday evening,” she said.

“You’ll probably get a stiff fine – your dog is a nuisance.”

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Yesterday morning, I told little Egg about the gang.

“Not my Rocky – he’ll never join a gang,” she said.

The little dog exhibited a broad grin, but I could see in his eyes that he would love to join a canine gang.

Shame, he must be terribly lonely since Sweetpea, our other dog, died in July, I thought.

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Rocky’s best friend is a cat nowadays, and that tells the whole story. No dog is an island. In my dream he looked so … happy.

Dear reader, the festive season is around the corner. Apart from the gammon and gifts and excess, the jolly season is notorious for suicide due to loneliness.

Please don’t be fooled by brave smiles. There are extremely lonely people in our communities – reach out to them. You could just make a lonely heart happy.

I think I’ll consider enrolling Rocky at a doggy training school next year. I’m sure the social interaction with other dogs will mean the world to him.

And perhaps I’ll join a social group or a sports club. I spend far too much time in my own company. I don’t want Rocky and me joining a delinquent doggy gang for the adventure and companionship now, do I?

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