MAN'S (& WOMAN'S) BEST FRIEND

What's your view of all this, Set?


I find both the memoirs, as described, and the article, rather febrile and ponderous.

I wouldn't argue with that assessment.

I think people often go way overboard in their relationship with their dogs, especially in "projecting" and anthropomorphizing canine behavior. Dogs don't behave the way they do because they are acting like humans, they act the way they do because they assume our motives are the same as theirs, in my never humble opinion. I enjoy the company of dogs because of the nature of dogs, and their tolerant and pacific natures (if you meet a "bad" or a dangerous dog, someone made him or her that way). I don't want a dog to be a "baby" for me--i want a dog to be a dog, which means good, reliable and un-judging companionship. Dogs will only form a bad opinion of you if you are violent or socially unstable.

When I worked for myself, I often had occasion to go into a yard where only the dog was home. With few exceptions the mutts left me to work in peace. But, let the lady of the house enter the premises, and the dog's demeanor changes. They become aggressive, determined to protect the mistress at all cost. I found this mostly amusing, except in the case of one lady, who let a pit bull with pups roam the yard, while I was doing roof repairs. The dog barked at my ankle constanly. Well, we finished the job, my partner and me, and we were putting everything away. It was just a matter of minutes before we were to leave. The dog was not in sight when I pulled the mop out of the tar pot, else I would have done things differently. As I twirled the mop and set it on a great sheet of thick paper, the dog appeared out of nowhere, and dashed across the hot mop. It yelped and whined with pain, and the lady was instantly out there to put cold water on the one foot that actually was burned. She sought to have me pay the vet, but I refused, on the grounds she knew the dog was constantly at us, yet did nothing about it.

You can't fault a dog for being a dog, and most problems with dogs arise from human stupidity. It appalls me to see how few people have done even rudimentary training for their dogs, and how few of them have any control over their animals. I can let the dogs out on the front porch, with the gate open, and they will not leave the porch. Almost every day i see people being dragged down the street by their dogs, who display every indication that they (the dogs) consider themselves to be in charge.

I see that. My dog absolutely will not leave the yard. When I have the gate open, she may make a mad dash that way, but at exactly the perimeter, she turns away and retreats to the porch. This without even commands.