In terms of my regard for our fellow creatures, dogs feature pretty high on the list. As a species there's undoubtedly a lot to be said for them - at least, that is, for the common or garden friendly mongrel type. I mean, it's easy to see how the whole 'man's best friend' thing came about. Though, having said that, I've never quite trusted the pedigrees who seem to have had the common sense bred out of them.
However, there is one aspect of a dog's way of looking at things which I've been reminded of this afternoon as being very much in conflict with my own. I'm referring to their remarkable capacity for barking at length when there can't possibly be that much going on to upset them. Case in point, some pooch from a near-by house has kept up a stream of singularly mindless mumbling throughout the afternoon. Occasionally there's a lull of a couple of minutes and I'm inclined to think it's worn itself out, but then the barking kicks in again with that oddly pointlessly frantic quality that's so disturbing. I suppose in the mind of the pooch there lurks a good reason for disturbing the rest of the world so relentlessly, but I'm lost as to what it might be.
It's helpful, I suppose, to be reminded that our sort aren't the only show in town. Just wish the reminder didn't set my teeth on edge quite so much.
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