Dogs I've known

[DudiousMax at aol.com]

Yo, 
          I've lived with dogs all my life.  My folks liked dogs and bred 
spaniels at one point.  I've got at least 10,000 dog stories, some of which 
are even hard for me to believe.  Dogs make friends.  They remember other 
dogs that move away and then return to the neighborhood, and make great todos 
of welcome.  They are capable of something like abstract reasoning (running 
the diagonal instead of just following a squirrel).  Their tissues and 
nervous systems are a lot like ours.  They probably experience the world a 
lot like we do (not like a humming bird, or an ant), except for their 
exaggerated sense of smell (Something like 30 or 40% of their brain is 
connected to their nose, while in humans it is like 5 or 7%.  We have a lot 
more of our brain hardwired to our eyes.).  I've never slaughtered hogs, but 
they are reputed to know what is going on, get nervous and fearful, lose 
their bladder and bowel control.  Dogs show fear (tail between their legs), 
and retreat before bigger and more formidable animals (like horses).    Dogs 
like most food.  My current dog likes beer in the summer time.  Iced tea 
disinterests him, though he'll drink it without enthusiasm.  He'll beg for a 
beer.  So, beyond the Buddha's teaching to respect sentient creatures, I 
think dogs are a bit more like us than most people are willing to admit.  As 
a specie we have lived with dogs (tame wolves) for thousands of years.  They 
like us.  They are loyal.  We have tried to tame just about every specie we 
could.  Very few enjoy our company like dogs obviously do.  When in heat, a 
female will screw every male in the pack; but she will come home to her human 
family to have her pups.  Now why TRP uses a talking dog, beats the shit out 
of me.
                                                                             
Max