STOP, YOU'RE UPSETTING MY DOG

The truth is, we are obsessed with pleasing our pets. They know it.  The foibles,schedules we set down and our weakness in needing their approval is duly noted.

Recently, I visited a friend who interpreted her dog’s every move as a statement about something. “Claude thinks its too cold”. “Claude wants to sit where you are so he can look out the window”. “Claude is saying he’s hungry”.  Claude is big bassett hound who drools on the floor and probably hasn’t formed a thought in a decade.  He knows he will get what he wants by flipping his ears, putting his paw over his nose, or just rolling over on his side. He is not speaking dog language, really.  If my friend had a partner, she would do the same thing, she would say “Oh, Fred thinks this”. Or, “No,no,no Fred doesn’t like that”.

I petted Claude as he groaned and rolled over and he put his big paw on my hand and gave me a look. I think Claude was saying “Do you see what I put up with. It’s just not humane”. 

We took Claude for a walk, he with his plaid sweater on, and embarrassing booties.  A couple stopped and pointed at Claude and my friend said “Stop, you upsetting my dog”. Claude had not reacted in any way, except to look longingly in front of him as he tried to pull away.

Sadly, I related to Claude, as so many times people attempt to interpret mine or someone else’s neutral response as something more profound.  Claude has it made, but at a price.  He may develop a complex and think he is a hand puppet. Poor Claude. No wonder he doesn’t talk much.

He reproduced himself with so much humble objectivity, with the unquestioning, matter of fact interest of a dog who sees himself in a mirror and thinks: there's another dog.
Rainer Maria Rilke