tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post6002957106994754188..comments2024-03-26T08:18:06.895-04:00Comments on Moristotle & Co.: Let us now praise a famous dogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post-16297150436930128792017-04-01T21:45:36.316-04:002017-04-01T21:45:36.316-04:00I consider our standard poodle (Siegfried) a membe...I consider our standard poodle (Siegfried) a member of our family and think of him as a person. So it's strange that it never occurred to me that he may think of me as a dog! Makes sense, though.Moristotlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211602374384087074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post-3570850120659917702017-04-01T20:25:42.520-04:002017-04-01T20:25:42.520-04:00Great column Jon, dog people understand each other...Great column Jon, dog people understand each other, even though many don't really understand dogs. I flatter myself that maybe I do more than the average guy but still, how do we know? Some folks think dogs think they are people, but dogs only know dogs. They think everybody is just another dog; cats, people, whatever. Cats are little dogs who don't act like dogs ought; people are big dogs who REALLY don't act like dogs should. We put perfectly good food in a bag under the counter, won't let them eat it, and put it out by the road twice a week where inevitably someone steals it every single time. We don't like to sniff other dogs' rear ends to get acquainted, lick our private parts or eat puke, all of which make perfect sense to any dog. On the serious side sniffing each others' butts allows a dog to know what the other dog has eaten recently, to tell if they might be someone it would be profitable to know in case they might avail themselves of the same food source. Dogs know a lot. They know their address, they know their mommy and daddy, they know when dinner time is and when they have done something for which they are likely to be punished. Ever see a guilty dog? Any jury would turn thumbs down in a second! They are part of the family, and we celebrate their advent grieve their loss like any other member. Roger Owenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14263373735081837466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post-63969327673058908722017-03-24T07:33:58.673-04:002017-03-24T07:33:58.673-04:00Thanks to Jon for clarifying the point about seven...<i>Thanks to Jon for clarifying the point about seven being a "key marker for dogs" and a "symbolic marker for humans." He emailed it to me:</i><br /><br />1 dog year = 7 man years. There's also the 7 year itch, the 7 deadly sins, the 7 days in the week. The seventh son of a seventh son and so on. But it's also a myth. Dogs don't know how to count.Moristotlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211602374384087074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post-71972087071182156442017-03-23T21:03:38.800-04:002017-03-23T21:03:38.800-04:00Jon, a while after publication I realized that the...Jon, a while after publication I realized that the meaning of seven's being a marker escaped me (and had escaped me during editing, but I failed to query you). What do you mean by "That seven [Sam died seven years ago] is a <i>key marker for dogs</i>– a symbolic marker for humans"? In what way is it a "marker"? What is it about <i>seven</i>, rather than some other number?Moristotlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211602374384087074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post-82851580610668920702017-03-23T20:30:19.394-04:002017-03-23T20:30:19.394-04:00I KNOW what you mean, Chuck – in SELFISH moments, ...I KNOW what you mean, Chuck – in SELFISH moments, because we know that we accoutre our dog's world, feed him, let him out and in (Siegfried is a house dig), take him to the vet when he's seriously ill: he depends on us, expects us to BE THERE.Moristotlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211602374384087074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post-42748821549479834382017-03-23T20:13:45.792-04:002017-03-23T20:13:45.792-04:00It's easy to love a good dog far too well. In...It's easy to love a good dog far too well. In selfish moments, I hope Gabrielle out lives me.Chucknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28676316.post-47787829204713752792017-03-23T10:34:29.095-04:002017-03-23T10:34:29.095-04:00ok, when i can stop sobbing a few moments...one of...ok, when i can stop sobbing a few moments...one of the very best you have ever composed my dear brother...i miss him too xoxoxscpricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08375186489851315589noreply@blogger.com