Thursday, September 7, 2017

On the subject of dogs...

I admit, I love dogs. Big dogs, small dogs, short-haired, long-haired... I don't care. If it's a dog, I love it. At the moment, I have what I consider to be the most perfect dog on the planet: A Pug. More on that later. The purpose of this entry is to explain a bit about why I love dogs so much. I mean, I shouldn't have to. To me, a love of dogs should be a universal thing. But I get that some folks just don't get it. So listen up. Here's Dogs101 from your instructor, me.

The earliest known appearance of what we would call a "dog" seems to have been around about 31,700 years ago. While that creature was likely not terribly friendly, the first archeological evidence of a dog being a companion to a human was about 14,700 years ago. So what that means is that for more than fourteen-thousand years, these fuzzy buggers have been hanging around human beings, and not just for scavenging purposes. Evidence shows that they have been helping us by hunting with us, being companions to us, and doing largely what dogs do today. Let that sink in for a moment. Fourteen thousand years. Fourteen millennia. Most folks really can't grasp of how long that is. I surely can't.

So we flash forward a few centuries (to the present), and a very interesting piece of research appeared, via National Geographic.  I'll save you the trouble of reading it and give you the short version: Dogs and humans evolved together, and that love of dogs I'm talking about? It appears to be genetic. You read that right. Genetic. As in it's hard-coded into our DNA. Which means it's also hard-coded into their DNA.

But, if we ignore the science for a few minutes, I think I can break down why I love them so much to a few more base reasons.

First off, it's the ears.


Have you ever just sat there and played with a dog's ears? Big floppy ears, little pointy ears, ears that stand up or lay down... It doesn't matter. Ears. The fur on the ears is so soft and velvety, it's impossible to feel it and not feel relaxed. They're so expressive. I used to have a dog that held one ear up and one down. On purpose. We used to think he couldn't raise the other one, but he proved us wrong. he just did it that way. Think of it as your dog's hair style. Or like an extension of eyebrows. They're friggin' awesome. And, by the way, if you clip your dog's ears to make them look tougher, you are guilty of animal abuse, and I immediately believe you're an asshole.

Then there's the tails.


Well, butts and tails, if I'm being all inclusive. I love big long tails, little cinnamon-bun tails, even dogs with no tails. Look, remember the old song "If You're Happy and You Know It?" I added a dog-verse that I sing all the time. "If you're happy and you know it, wag your butt." You ever notice how when a dog is happy, he doesn't just wag his tail, but he wags his whole body? Like his WHOLE body? Butt-wiggles are amazing, and one of the things I love the most about dogs. To me, it's impossible to keep the smile off my face when a happy, wiggly doggie comes wagging his way up to you. It's contagious. And if you dock your dog's tail to make him look tougher, you're guilty of animal abuse and I immediately believe you're an asshole.

Even moreso, it's the dog in general. Look, dogs, from the time they're puppies (and don't get me started on puppies... puppy breath is one of the greatest smells in the world) to the time they're old, all they want is to be loved. They want to play. They want to be petted. They want you to like them. That's it. Dogs are made of pure love. Everything else that happens to them, we do to them. They want nothing more than to run around and sleep and play, and you're lucky enough to have one in your life, they want to play with you. Do you realize how special that is? Dogs don't care about your makeup, or your fashion sense, or your raging comic-book and D&D habit. They love you. Unconditionally. They love you. Let that one sink in for a moment. They don't care how badly you screw up at work or whether or not you're as rich as your neighbors. They just love you. And to me, that's kind of amazing.  No matter what, dogs are happy when you come home, thrilled when you come into the room, and overjoyed when you pay attention to them.

So, as I mentioned before, I have a pug.

Meet Max. And his pumpkin.
His full name is Sir Maximus Pugnacious. He is, perhaps, the best dog on the planet, and I'll debate anyone who says otherwise. He's alternately brave and a coward, snuggly and rambunctious, and he is unquestionably my best buddy and partner in crime. He rides my Harley with me.

Seriously. Pug life. 
Max is the dog I wanted since I was a kid, and I love him.

See, to me, dogs are a gift. If you believe in a higher power, you need but look at a dog to see proof of your faith. Because, to me, only a higher power could look down and see human kind and say "he looks lonely. I believe I'll give him a companion." And lo, the dog came. We were gifted something so pure, so full of love and loyalty. The higher power said make it fierce to protect him, compassionate to comfort him, fun to play with him. If you doubt dogs have souls, I doubt you have a soul. They are self-aware, smart, and amazing. And, to me, they are essential parts of my life.

Until next time -

-=SAJ=-