Doggy Musings

Dogs are funny creatures. They are creatures of habit. All dogs, regardless of size, breed or gender have an agenda. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's hidden. Sometimes it's downright sneaky. Ozzie, being a lab, is totally motivated by food--or at least what he considers food. Outside, he is a master of the end run, pretending to walk quietly by your side and doubling back to some gross morsel when you think he's forgotten about it. He's well tuned in to the fact that when your attention is divided, he can make a break for it. Infuriatingly, he'll wait until you have almost caught up with him and then dash off again with his gross morsel. Yesterday it was a deer leg....

Rudy is not wildly interested in walks or exercise, but loves to run around after Ozzie. Great exercise for his little short legs even if Ozzie is just ambling along. Ozzie seeks out water; Rudy avoids it. We met a dog the other day, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Nelson who lives to run. We could pick him out from a distance, loping gracefully along with a gazelle-like gait. I imagine he can outrun just about anything. Ozzie can't keep up with him so he tries shortcuts and diversionary tactics. Hank the Bassett hates to walk and will lie down in the middle of the road where he can't be shifted....

Many male dogs find Ozzie to be an object of sexual desire. I don't know if this makes them gay dogs or just dogs who need to establish their dominance. Ozzie completely ignores them. I'm not quite sure what that says about him. This morning we met two dogs, described by the person with them as "old girls", who showed an interest in greeting Ozzie for about 12 seconds and then went back to their previous pursuits.

It is the male dogs who seem to be "sniffers", zig-zagging across the path to sniff both sides whilst still maintaining a little bit of forward motion. I once met a man who called this "reading the newspaper". I call it annoying . Even more annoying, when Ozzie sees a cat, squirrel, bird he bolts off after it dragging me right off my feet, or breaking my fingers if I happen to have the lead wrapped around my hand.

I've seen dogs who hide behind their person and dogs who approach as if to play, but turn around and run away if they get a response. Whatever their agendas, most dogs are a source of amusement and a good way to meet other people. The one exception is a prominently displayed sign at a dog friendly beach we like to go to that says, "NO PIT BULLS..."

In the winter when the leaves have all fallen, the oak trees reveal a complicated structure, wonderfully twisted limbs and lots of hanging Spanish Moss and Mistletoe.