Liza
Update
“I
think that we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited
creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They
fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral
restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear
to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings,
they need us to do their worrying.”
George
Bird Evans (Troubles with Bird Dogs)
I
thought you might appreciate an update on the mini-yak, Liza, since
poor Julie went to her reward. Let me just say, she is suffering not
in the least. She spent all of Thanksgiving on her back having
her belly rubbed by my niece. She ran to wherever we were,
flung herself onto her back and gazed adoringly at Katie until she
simply couldn't resist. She received bits of smoked turkey and gravy
in her food bowl, so much so that she now shuns dog food. Last night
she took one look at the lack of human food in her pan, and walked
away. The look I got said, “How could you?”
What
I have noticed is a quieter, calmer dog. Since she is not in constant
competition, she naps more and happily gets into her harness for
walks. She actually sleeps later; until almost seven today, which is
highly irregular. I see no signs of grief. I, dog psychologist that I
am, think it is because she came into the family later. She was not a
baby and did not perceive Julie as her mother, as Julie did Whiskers.
From the beginning, Julie was simply the competition. When Julie was
a pup, Whiskers tended her. She slept against his belly; he groomed
her. They bonded. When Liza came into our home, Julie was not amused.
She ignored Liza for the first few months, and when she finally did
accept her into the clan, it was only to notice when she wasn't
nearby and go search for her. Once found, she ignored her again.
As
for me, I am still looking for Julie, calling her name when I don't
mean to, and while I'm not exactly grieving, I am sad when I realize
she's gone. We do love our animals. Sometimes, I think we love them
too much—we don't allow for their doggie-nature, their spontaneous
reactions, and outrageous appetites. We confine them and treat them
as shaggy children. Dogs, for their part, have adapted to us, and
accommodate our neediness because they love us, and...well, because we feed
them. But I'll bet their dreams are still wild and free. In the case
of the mini-yak, they probably involve digging chipmunks out of holes
and strangling them. Squirrels too, and then there's that dad-burn
black cat...grrrrr.
In
the spirit,
Jane
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