10-4 Magazine July 2024

A Trucking Dog’s Blog: By K.M. Stanfield First and currently the foremost in my canine mind is food. Drivers need to be aware that a dog on the road needs good food. Not all dog food on themarket is acceptable – far from it. We canines either spend time bouncing around next to our drivers or just laying down a great deal of time on a hard floor (though the bunk is preferable). The quality of food can mean all the difference in how many times I need to relieve myself daily as my body will use more of the ingredients. It also can help me not get obese, have a better quality coat, and better health overall. It’s sort of like giving me the hot dog without the corn breading and stick. The better the food, the better I will do. Less fillers, less grease, less me waking you up potentially at three A.M. and not caring if you find that leash or not. Looking over at my driver, the one thing that comes to mind is, “When are we due to deliver whatever it was he just loaded?” The reason I wonder is that he looked like he was in a hurry, tripped over a strap he was dragging, and I heard him bang his knee on the trailer while climbing into it. Then, he complained about the security guard taking too much time matching the seal numbers... at least that’s what he said before we left the distribution center. Actually, I have no clue what he’s talking about, as all I know is he forgot to feed me. I see a lot of trucks every day with dogs like me hanging their heads out the windows of other trucks with their drool flying all over the doors, and sometimes the small ones sit up on the dashboard yapping at me – they always seem to be mad about something. Maybe their drivers forgot to feed them, too. Maybe if I drool all over my driver’s new shifter knob it might get his attention. Maybe he left some beef rollers in the trash I can find. Instead of that, perhaps starting “A Trucking Dog’s Blog” might be a way to handle the situation. I’ve been sitting by my old school big rig driver for a couple of years now, and I know from discussing the matter with other four-wheeler owned dogs at rest stops, that I definitely have it better than them. I get to be with my driver every day, we share the bed, see the country together, and I get to smell the grass in almost every state, which far exceeds the life other dogs lead in a back yard looking at the same wooden fence ever day of their lives. The life of a truck driver’s dog must be better than any dog job in the world... however, there are a few things that more drivers need to know about we long-haul hounds. Let’s break down the things that a truck driver should consider before taking me on the road. Of course, I am completely aware that the benefits far outweigh my hair in his coffee or the necessity of trying to find my leash at three in the morning to take me outside to relieve myself. So, the trade-off is a good one – I provide companionship, an ear to listen to his complaints, and I bark at anybody who attempts to touch our truck – whether they meant to or not. 66 10-4 Magazine / July 2024 A DOG’S PERSPECTIVE