Meeting of the Minds

Since Chica joined our household, I’ve had less time for deep thoughts. It’s about all I can do to keep up with her puppy antics, which include playing tug of war with my squeaky fox toy, pretending to fight, and slavishly following our mistress about the house and yard (I had outgrown that, having learned that she isn’t about to disappear, but Chica won’t let Mary out of her sight.)

If I were to return to my philosophical musings, I might begin with a recent program on National Public Radio where some English chap came on the air to discuss his new book on the inner workings of dogs’ minds.

Now mind you (pardon the expression) man has been trying to look into the minds of beasts since time out of (pardon again) mind. Dogs’ minds in particular. Until recently the theory of dominance has prevailed. Now comes this new theory that if, for example you let your dog sleep in your bed it won’t make him feel like he is the dominant one in the relationship. Well duh. Of course we know humans are in the driver’s seat, if for no other reason than they are the ones who feed us.

My question is what goes on in the minds of humans? Why, for example, does my mistress persist in trying to train Chica to do her business outside, when it is perfectly obvious that Chica will always go wherever she happens to be when the urge strikes. Two vets have told her that if a pup isn’t trained after three months (Chica is nine) it’s probably not going to happen. Yet Mary persists. Apparently the concept of hope looms larger in the human than the canine mind.

I could also ask why my master and mistress took us to Tarpley this weekend in the 90 degree plus weather. It was absolutely beastly and the creeks are down to a trickle. We took an early evening walk but even then we had our tongues hanging out. Meanwhile, Mary’s walking group has disbanded for the summer due to the heat. Hopefully they will regroup in fall and walk weekly until it gets too cold. These ladies are fair weather walkers for sure. And I must admit that I am of one mind with them on that.