HOW DOGS ARE DIFFERENT
First, let’s understand the vernacular. People who cater to the
whims and weirdness of a cat are not “owners.” They are
indulgent caregivers, willing servants, but owners? Never! Even
the court system recognizes the difference. Judge Wapner and his
peers hold dog owners responsible for anything a dog does but
cats can cause accidents, wreak havoc in the neighborhood, and
even attack people with legal impunity.
Okay, that said, let’s start with cats – and a stipulation. I am
a cat lover and while having lived with an African lioness
doesn’t make me an expert on the feline family, certain
behavioral traits are pretty much universally accepted. So being
an established cat fancier, I ask you, do cats
ever do what you want them to do when you want them to do it?
No. Even with those highly trained TV cats that come running for
food, several takes are often necessary because there may be a
fluff on the floor or a foot that needs grooming. When you and I
set the food bowl down, the best most cats ever manage is a
leisurely stroll while showing off the latest in tail-hook
maneuvers. I’d bet feline TV stars know there’s a piece of raw
chicken liver in the bottom of the bowl of cat food…
Do cats ever seek you out because you’re you? No. Cat people are
largely delusional. On the occasion that a cat takes time from
its busy day to rub their facial scent glands across some part
of the human anatomy, cat lovers feel adored. I have always
thought it significant that cats prefer to mark the human face
with the glands located near the anus. Indulgent owners just
smile while gently nudging the cat’s posterior away from their
mouth. Can you imagine a dog owner being flattered by a butt-rub
facial??!!! And that “making bread” thing cats do which so
delights the human psyche. Get real. They just as happily knead
a roll of toilet paper!
A dog will
follow you because you’re the pack leader and he knows you will
never lead him wrong. A cat will follow you out of curiosity,
nothing more, nothing less. Will a cat stand fast to protect
you? No. We once had a short-lived cat that attacked any car
that entered our driveway. Tac-Cat’s stupid obsession was funny
but not protective. When a visitor emerged from the car, she
considered it an unforgivable disruption in her otherwise
ordered world and would disappear just like any other feline.
So what
about horses you ask? Well now, you’re talking to an
accomplished horsewoman. Nothing fancy, we showed a little at
halter but mostly I did the games. Barrel Racing, Keyhole,
Polebending – the stuff where the only judge was a stop
watch. I loved my horses. Fed them, polished them, and learned
to trim hooves. I was so into horses I became proficient in
buying auction “snakes” and developing them into saleable, well
mannered riding horses.
But did I
ever have one that would come when called unless I was holding
the feed bucket? No. It took no time at all to realize that
Smokey, Flicka, Thunderhead, and The Black were only works of
fiction. Like cats, horses
couldn’t care less about protecting
anything not equine. They say donkeys protect flocks or herds or
some such nonsense. No way. Jacks just go after anything they
don’t know personally, including unfamiliar humans.
Horses and
mules settled the west and won WWI for us. Credit where it’s
due. But not a one went to war without a bit in its mouth! We
have a friend who is a multi-species trainer and her liberty
horse performs beautifully but not because he wants to do it for
her! She could ask him all day long to bring in the sheep or
fetch the newspaper and he’d just swish his tail in her face.
When she asks her German Shepherd to go out to the round pen and
bring her the feed bucket, Colonel not only does it, he’s
delighted that she asked. Let a horse get himself in trouble and
it is the dog that alerts Joan to the problem. Can you imagine
it the other way around???!!
When the day
is over, the horse gladly shucks the reins of civilization and
heads for equine companionship and a good roll. Where is your
dog? If not at your side, he’s waiting at the door. Think about
going out and your dog is looking for the keys but is your horse
thrilled when you hook to the trailer or is he gone? If sickness
prevented you from feeding the horse, would he worry about your
absence? Or would he leave you horseless at the first sign of an
open gate???
Your dog
will starve rather than leave you. Unlike the mules in forced
servitude, military dogs trotted happily alongside the handler.
They protected the camps, carried messages, and boosted moral
when the going got really tough. They suffer in the
desert, in
unbearable heat, just like our soldiers. Dogs serve
mankind with loyalty unequaled by cats and horses.
Well, I
think we settled that subject quite nicely don’t you? Of course
cats and horses are different than dogs. That is the point. No
creature other than your spouse or parents is as unselfishly
devoted to you as is your dog.
No wild
horse ever put his own head in the halter. Capture a pariah dog
(jungle Basinji comes easily to mind) and it will become your
friend. Capture a mustang and you can tame him but never leave
the gate open…. I don’t know much about the ship of the desert.
My second choice pet has always been an elephant. Although both
have been domesticated for centuries I’ll betcha the camel or
elephant would be quite happy to never see a human again. Only
the dog stays because he wants to stay. And puleeeze, don’t tell
me how we devolved them into children and that’s why they are so
dependent on humans. Whoever scripted those Animal Planet shows
are obviously cat lovers….
Perhaps, in
the intricate scheme of Creation, a design whereby everything
fits and even the Platypus has a place, Dog was created for only
one purpose. Unlike any other mammal, Man needs flattery,
support, and unconditional love. He hungered through centuries
of evolutionary progress until The Creator, in His infinite
wisdom, realized He had made Man differently. He looked at all
the beasts over which we had dominion and decided that the wolf,
with its highly developed social structure, would complete human
development and be the perfect example of enduring love.
And so
it was that wolf became Dog, allowing us to share life with a
selfless, inherently good soul, totally free of malice and
deceit.
Dog came for
a bone tossed carelessly into the brush but significantly, only
Dog crept to the fire and laid down beside man. A millennium ago
Dog chose Man.
And that’s
why dogs are different.
- Barbara
"BJ" Andrews © 2006
Dog Breeder, Cat Fancier,
Horsewoman
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