A question that has perplexed me for most of my life, since early childhood, is this….do dogs smile? It seems they do….that is, by the look on their faces. But I am not totally sure. I can tell you for certain, however, that dogs do experience happiness. Everytime my dog, Cash (aka, la nariz con piernas, or “nose with legs”), sees me pick up the leash to take him for a walk he turns into some sort of canine kangaroo bouncing around like one of those old-fashioned “super-balls.” Just the very thought of going for a walk whips him into such a frenzy of delight that he sometimes…this is a little embarassing…pees. Now that’s how we should all get out of bed in the morning. Well, at least without the peeing. I wrote a good while ago about how Costa Rican dogs are smarter than their counterparts up north. So this morning I felt like it was time for another post about dogs. We can learn a lot from these lovable creatures. About such things as loyalty, unconditional love, contentment, etc. Dogs are just happy to be, well, dogs. It seems that their one true joy in life, other than basic instinctual needs and drives, is to share time with their masters. I don’t share nearly as much time as I should with my dog. I was brought up in the southern part of the U.S. We love our dogs down south, but we do recognize them as such….that is, dogs. We aren’t inclined, as those wierdos up north are, to try to treat our dogs like people. Well their are some exceptions, like Tammy Faye Baker, but normally we just as soon our dogs be dogs. Doesn’t mean we don’t love’em, but we love’em just the way they are….smelly, dirty and for reasons such as the two aforementioned, outside. I keep my dog out of the house. I am sure he would prefer to be inside, but that’s not his place. He’s a dog. Doesn’t mean I don’t love him, or care for him. Hell I couldn’t live without the hound. It’s just that I love him a lot more outside. This is one of those basically pointless posts about nothing really important….let’s call it a “Seinfeld post.” Is there a moral to this story? I guess if I have to discern a “take away” I would say this….we all need to love our dogs more, but also learn from them. Dogs are very committed creatures and it seems that neither hell nor high-water can detract them from that commitment. The commitment is to love those that love them, unconditionally and without reservation. We could all stand a little more of that, don’t you think?
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