I (Sally here) am not really a dog person. I do love dogs; I love their smartness and willingness to please, their apparently endless capacity for submitting to all of a human's whims with not just grace but joy. . .their ability to forgive. . .where I work there is a lovely young Labrador who was grossly abused in puppyhood. (I couldn't really attend to the story her owner, who rescued her told me: too horrific. But she has big ugly scars on her back from being whipped.) And every time she sees me, she sidles over delicately and asks, very sweetly and anxiously, to be petted. . . in some part of her brain (I can see terror as she rolls her eyes) she cringes because she can't help thinking I might hurt her. This dog weighs almost as much as I do, has big powerful jaws; she could definitely take me out.
So sad, and so touching, that this nice animal who has good reason to distrust humans, wants nothing more than a little commonplace affection. So yeah, it does make me a trifle, I don't know, weirded out that this sweet creature is so willing to risk everything for acceptance. . .at the same time I feel honored by the trust.
Still as I said I am not a dog person per se. I was bitten by my grandparents' Schnauzer at about two, I still sweat remembering a recurring childhood nightmare featuring a large German-Shepherd-looking demon dog. . . but then I had a sweet little collie mix called Lady when I was very young who followed me everywhere and hung on my every whim.
I'm a cat person. I think I love cats with another personality; what I love about them is exactly opposite to what is nice about dogs. They're independent (or at least they're good at pretending they could care less what you think) Everything is on their terms. And they are lovely, sensual, low maintenance and generally silent.
Which brings me to the title. Harry and I have two dogs, both inherited. He got his (terrier mix) in the divorce. I got mine (Pom/Chihuahua) when my youngest went off to college this fall. Both are nice animals in many ways, but they BARK.BARK.BARK. all the time, at any conceivable prompt. Someone walking past. A dog barking three blocks away. an alarm clock. My cell phone, announcing with a discreet little beep that I have a new email. . .
Drives me crazy.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
How sad about the young Lab's past. I can't believe their are people so evil they would do that to an animal or a child but sadly there is.
ReplyDeleteBarking dogs! You should visit our farm! I did not name it "peaceful prairie" for a reason. We have 3 Great Pyrenees dogs and bark, OMG! OK, most days we only hear them if there REALLY is a threat, so that isn't too bad, but if something gets them really riled up on a particular day, (like our neighbors riding their horses down the road with their two dogs running loose and insulting our dogs by peeing in our yard just outside the fence) then they are on high alert ALL DAY. Those days anything and everything makes them bark, a butterfly, low flying air planes, whatever...they bark at it.
You posted tis SIX days ago, and this is the firt I've noticed it!! I don't know what happened!! Tried to e-mail you, but your e-mail is not on your profile, so I hope you see this!! I got to thinking about you last night, wondered where you had been, and found your post when I went looking. So sorry, I do enjoy reading your posts!! I totally agree on the cat/dog issue!!! I used to love dogs when I was young, But now the big ones scare me, they drool and bark and jump all over you, yikes! I LOVE cats!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, Jennifer, but I imagined looking at your pictures of the Guardian dogs that they were the strong silent type! I should know better, grew up in the country where all dogs ran free and barked incessantly. . .I just never noticed it until I lived in an apartment and had a neighbor whose mini poodles or whatever they were barked ALL DAY LONG. . .Made such an impression on me that when it years later came time for me to get a puppy for my children I researched and chose a breed that doesn't bark much (Brittany) Now I'm living with 2 champion barkers through no fault of my own! Still, they are both dear to me, for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather have goats!