# Ask the dog

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-judy-asked-her-dog
- Themes: intuition, compassion, animals, death
- Life situations: pet euthanasia, sick animals, end-of-life decisions

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Ajahn Brahm advises people whose vet says to put a pet down to ask the animal what it wants. Judy, in the audience, did this: her dog had cancer and the vet wanted to put it down, but taking it aside she felt it didn't want to go. The angry vet called Buddhists cruel and heartless. She took it home; six months later the dog had made a full recovery — and the vet said something like 'You Buddhists are very wise.'

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

Judy was telling me that she did that with her dog. She went to the vet, it had a cancer. And the vet said, "Your dog's in such great pain. I've got to put it down." She took it aside. And as she took it aside, she felt the dog didn't want to go. So she told the vet, "No, I'm taking it home" and the vet was very angry at her. "So you Buddhists are very cruel. You're heartless. You're supposed to be compassionate. The dog is in great pain, and you are keeping it alive. You cruel person." But good on her. She sort of took it home. Six months later, she took the dog back to the vet. He had made a full recovery.

## Teaching point

When the mind is silent and loving, intuition can tell you what needs to be done.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Told to put her sick dog down, Judy sat quietly with it, felt it wasn't ready, and took it home; six months later it had recovered. Ajahn Brahm uses it to talk about intuition from a calm, loving mind. Hard decisions about animals or family still need good advice. Listen to your heart as well.

## Source

- [Wisdom and Stupidity | Ajahn Brahm | 04-02-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbOShAIwNJA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:01:29 to 1:02:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbOShAIwNJA&t=3689s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Reincarnation | Ajahn Brahm | 3 Feb 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIrtqS0LkYQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 32:20 to 36:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIrtqS0LkYQ&t=1940s
- [Why? Is an Important Question to Ask | Ajahn Brahm | 1 January 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3v0vceM7-0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 31:09 to 34:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3v0vceM7-0&t=1869s
- [The Mind and Brain | Ajahn Brahm | 1st April 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ZTU-gQPAc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:04:38 to 1:05:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ZTU-gQPAc&t=3878s