Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

It's not that I can't appreciate the bond between people and their dogs. 
 What I don't get is why the extrapolation from YOUR dog to ALL dogs. 
They are not all faithful, loving, unselfish.  As for sleeping "on the 
cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely", 
I know a dog that won't even get off her terrace to go pee and poop in 
the back yard - does it all on the terrace.  Yuck!  I had a dog that was 
so loyal it ran off every morning to go down the mountain to play with 
other dogs.  Came home or not... as it felt like it.  Growing up, same 
thing.  My mom had to drive all over the county because the dang dog 
would go 5 miles to the shopping center, hop in the first car with an 
open door and then refuse to come out.  My then 8 year old son was 
attacked playing in the street with some other little kids.  Dog was let 
out the front door and just ran straight into the street and jumped him. 
 Have you ever tried locking your dog outside without feeding him? 
From what I've seen vis-a-vis dogs and their stomachs, he'd stick 
around just long enough to figure out you weren't going to pony up a 
meal.  Forget that standing by his owner "in prosperity and in poverty". 
 Give him dinner or it's bye bye.

Cats, on the other hand, get a totally raw deal in the 
loyalty/reliability department.  Most people don't bother to learn body 
language and treat cats like cardboard cutout animals.  There's even an 
email joke that pokes fun of cats but what's sad is that the attributes 
being made fun of are cat ways of saying they care.  When a cat rubs 
against their legs, most people assume the cat is trying to "mark" them, 
or trip them.  But observe cats that get along well and you'll see that 
walking past each other and lightly touching the back half of their 
sides to each other is a greeting.  When your cat greets you this way, 
it is saying, "Hi.  I'm really glad to see you."  I had a Sheltie that 
barked at everything.  Squirrels, birds, leaves rolling along the 
ground.  Fat lot of good that did!  On the other hand, Spot, my alarm 
kitty, whenever he heard something that seemed threatening, like angry 
voices, or a bear, would go to the door or window closest to the 
intruder and growl.  Now THAT was useful!  If I go outside and call, my 
cat comes to me.  If I go for a walk, my cat loves to come too.

Cats in packs are pretty benign.  Ever read a headline, "CAT PACK KILLS 
CHICKENS"?  Dogs get together and bring down calves, sheep, goats, 
ponies, you name it.  If it's small, it's fair game.  Have you ever been 
attacked on the trail by a vicious Siamese?  Persian?  Russian Blue? 
Pit bull?  German Shepherd? Rottweiler?  Yeah... go dogs.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=