Of Cities and Dogs.
Working dogs have a well defined role in their relationship with humans.
They have a job to do, are trained for that job and are rewarded when they do the job well. They are excercised and fed and, usually sleep in a kennel rather than the house.
The US Navy seals, took a dog with them when they set out to capture Osama bin Laden. Apparently military dogs were often put down at the end of their 'service' but increasingly are being given over to adoption if they can make the transition from a working dog to a house dog and a pet.
Our last dog developed Canine Dementia and had to be put down and we found ourselves experiencing loss, he had become part of our family and spent his days with us and vice versa it was a relationship of mutual affection and respect.
We began to search for a new dog and decided that on balance, rescue or adoption was the best way forward, on one occasion we saw a lovely, yellow lab in the local pet rescue centre and were hoping to adopt but were told that she had been selected for training and was going to be a Police Dog.
She had no say in the matter so would never really know, when she was busy sniffing for drugs or weapons or terrorists, that she could have been sitting back enjoying a relaxed life with walks, regular food and grandchildren to play with. interesting to wonder which she would have chosen.
I have always enjoyed the story about the insomniac, agnostic with dyslexia who lay awake all night wondering if there was a 'dog'.
There is no doubting that there are dogs in Genoa.
You have to be careful where you step.
But that's the owners not the dogs. In the park here the children have their play area and there is a designated dog run how civilized is that?
And dogs in the City are quieter, more sedentary I suppose, bark less and generally are extremely well behaved, but then they are allowed into restaurants, shops, there was even a dog in Zara in XX Septembre the other day and Zara doesn't even sell things for dogs.
But dogs in Cities clearly fulfill as crucial a role for their owners as working dogs do for theirs. They don't hunt, track, point, retrieve or round up sheep but they do offer company, engagement, affection and trust.
Indeed in a recent report. evidence was presented, suggesting that Paris, the City with the most dogs per head of (human) population, is in fact a City of lonely people with a high proportion of the residents living alone and needing companionship.
That dogs provide the comfort and companionship humans need is not in question but what is suprising is that the dog in all its shapes and forms is so central to human existence.
On holiday recently I read Jack London's wonderful book, White Fang, in which he digs deeply into the psyche of both dog and human being.
When we get home we will be delighted to see our family and our wonderful grandchildren, but we will also be pleased to resume our relationship with our small but affctionate mongrelly companion, our Heinz 57, Ruby, aka Muttley ......
Working dogs have a well defined role in their relationship with humans.
They have a job to do, are trained for that job and are rewarded when they do the job well. They are excercised and fed and, usually sleep in a kennel rather than the house.
The US Navy seals, took a dog with them when they set out to capture Osama bin Laden. Apparently military dogs were often put down at the end of their 'service' but increasingly are being given over to adoption if they can make the transition from a working dog to a house dog and a pet.
Our last dog developed Canine Dementia and had to be put down and we found ourselves experiencing loss, he had become part of our family and spent his days with us and vice versa it was a relationship of mutual affection and respect.
We began to search for a new dog and decided that on balance, rescue or adoption was the best way forward, on one occasion we saw a lovely, yellow lab in the local pet rescue centre and were hoping to adopt but were told that she had been selected for training and was going to be a Police Dog.
She had no say in the matter so would never really know, when she was busy sniffing for drugs or weapons or terrorists, that she could have been sitting back enjoying a relaxed life with walks, regular food and grandchildren to play with. interesting to wonder which she would have chosen.
I have always enjoyed the story about the insomniac, agnostic with dyslexia who lay awake all night wondering if there was a 'dog'.
There is no doubting that there are dogs in Genoa.
You have to be careful where you step.
But that's the owners not the dogs. In the park here the children have their play area and there is a designated dog run how civilized is that?
And dogs in the City are quieter, more sedentary I suppose, bark less and generally are extremely well behaved, but then they are allowed into restaurants, shops, there was even a dog in Zara in XX Septembre the other day and Zara doesn't even sell things for dogs.
But dogs in Cities clearly fulfill as crucial a role for their owners as working dogs do for theirs. They don't hunt, track, point, retrieve or round up sheep but they do offer company, engagement, affection and trust.
Indeed in a recent report. evidence was presented, suggesting that Paris, the City with the most dogs per head of (human) population, is in fact a City of lonely people with a high proportion of the residents living alone and needing companionship.
That dogs provide the comfort and companionship humans need is not in question but what is suprising is that the dog in all its shapes and forms is so central to human existence.
On holiday recently I read Jack London's wonderful book, White Fang, in which he digs deeply into the psyche of both dog and human being.
When we get home we will be delighted to see our family and our wonderful grandchildren, but we will also be pleased to resume our relationship with our small but affctionate mongrelly companion, our Heinz 57, Ruby, aka Muttley ......
No comments:
Post a Comment