I thought for this week’s “story” post, I’d write something a bit more light hearted than what I posted last week.
Imagine how different things would be if our dogs could talk. Oh the stories they’d tell. Yes the idea is the same as a cliche’ “if these walls could talk” or “Oh, to be a fly on the wall.” However, in this imaginary world where my dog can talk, I’m the only one who can here him and the only one who knows that he can tell me everything. A few layers into analyzing the second and third order impacts of this scenario and I discover this sort of magic can serve me well or do the opposite.
A few things come to mind if my dog could indeed talk to me:
– He could tell me specifically why he’s putting his paws on me. That way I would’t have to run through all the questions – i.e. “What do you want? We just went for a walk. No, it isn’t time for dinner. Oh, that’s it, your water bowl is empty, I’m sorry.” Instead he’d just tell me stuff. Down sides? Yes indeed. Do I really want to listen to all the whining about why he’s always hungry or wants to go out to sniff stuff? Yuk, what if he wants to tell me about every scent he sticks his nose into?
– He could tell me secrets. This would have been helpful when our sons were still living at home – i.e. “Hey, there was a party here over the weekend while you were away.” Then I’d probably ask if there was something else I needed to know about – “Don’t look under the throw rug in the living room – you don’t want to see the stains burn marks on the hardwood floor you just had replaced last summer. Don’t ask what else was going on either. I’m sure you don’t want to know.” He’d probably tell me anyway because he’s a dog and has a loyal obligation. I’m sure anyone could see all the downsides. Do I take that another step and dare to wonder what secrets my wife has been keeping from me? I think not. I’ll tell the pouch to keep his discoveries to himself.
– He could tell me what goes through his mind when we go for walks. Yeah, I know, the entire concept of what happens in a dog’s mind probably isn’t all that coherent. However, I am slightly curious as to why he seems to like interacting with some of the neighborhood dogs and won’t give others the time of day. “Dad, don’t you get it?The sheepdog smells really bad, like that poodle around the corner. Someone must have put cologne on him or something. I kinda prefer the more rank oder of the retriever across the street.” Seriously, on second thought, I don’t really care why he prefers interacting with some dogs and shuns others.
For now, as far as my dog’s stories go, I’ll have to settle for my personal interpretation of them. I think we’ll both be happier as a result.
