obsequious sycophants and untrained trophy dogs
Yeah. Yaknow? Just because I have been acquainted with you since our kids were in elementary school together, it’s not okay. Just because we are always friendly to each other when we pass each other on the sidewalk in the schoolyard in the early morning dark, it’s not okay. Just because I am not afraid of dogs, it is not okay. Just because I like dogs and am friendly to your dogs even as they are jumping up on me and one of them is snarling at me, it’s not okay.
Okay. I like dogs. I had Tigger when I was a kid and she was the best dog EVER and she was one of my best friends. Sometimes when Laurie and I were “mad” at each other (grrrr), Tigger was my only friend.
Most dogs like me too. There was my old friend Sam (er, do I need say that he was not the archaeologist Sam?). My brother would leave him with me up at Fin Family Moominbeach for a week or so many summers. Actually, I’m not sure how much Sam liked me, really. Whenever my brother would be packing up to leave, Sam would go and hang out by whatever vee-hickle The Engineer happened to be driving at the moment. “A dog and his car,” The Engineer used to say, in a mock-mournful voice. The Engineer would leave and Sam would spend the whole week totally ignoring any kind of command I tried to give him. But he would sure be around for food and hugs and things. I guess I was an okay substitute. Old Sam and The Engineer have gone over the horizon and Ernie and King Alfred are replacements for Old Sam and, I dunno, they really need their own post. But I am definitely part of their pack. One of them obeys my commands and I can pick the other one up if he gets out of hand. If I can catch him!
I am not afraid of dogs but there are breeds that I don’t trust as a matter of form. If a golden retriever jumps on me or even knocks me down (and that’s happened) I’m not afraid. Goldens are big dogs but they are usually friendly. If I see a dog that looks like it has shepherd or pit bull baked into it and there is no owner around, I am wary. The group of dogs I encountered this morning included three goldens and a kind of wolf-looking dog. Shepherd? I’m not sure. Every time I have come within 25 yards of the wolf-looking dog since forever, it has growled and snapped and barked at me and the owners always rather insipidly say, “Rover (not its real name), come on, stop that.” The goldens? They just jump on me.
Yaknow. At 0-dark-30 in the morning, I am not particularly interested in mixing it up with your beautiful, untrained trophy dogs. I love your dogs from a distance. If they can’t keep a distance from me, you need to keep them tightly leashed.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Yes. Some people are not mature enough to own a dog.
(I came here via Archaeofacts.)
November 19th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Don’t forget that Sam had that endearing way of saying “Mom” and “Luff Mom” and “Grrrr-Mom” and “Yummmmm” on request! And he knew who we were talking about when we spoke to him of “Anne-Mom”!
His tendency to “pack himself into the car” everytime we left to go to the Cabin or back home always made for laughter. Remembering the time that *Katie* was the only person EVER to get him to even briefly “unpack” himself from the car to say “good-bye”…. then he realized that he’d almost gotten out of the truck and quickly packed himself away again!!! Just never wanted to be forgotten!!!
November 20th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Does the GG still have the pics I took of Duke & Jeb? 2 beautiful Golden Labs Uncle Don had in the 70’s. We could throw a stick in HL, and they would go after it, one would grab it in his mouth, and wait for the other dog, and they would carry it back to you together. I have a pic ( no, photographs ) of Garth Jr. and U Don with these dogs at HL. The GG and I took a series photos of them at the end of the dock, side by side, looking to the left, the right…. they were like twins. They were the best dogs I have ever known.