What a lovely essay! Brought me to tears and made me miss my dog Winston, who passed two years ago. That's Winston and me in the little photo adjoining this comment. Woof woof.
Lifelong dog person still have two of five that we had at one time . They are pack animals that need company and protection as much as we do from them . They are emotional companions yet theirs are different from ours more primitive but still similar as we are both mammals . I forget who said the we made a covenant with dogs , think it was Joanh Goldberg ,that has been some what one sided . Good question do they love us as one human loves another? Don't think so . If they do it's they love or just respect us was one dog loves or respects another . In the end I still say our curse is they don 't live as long as us . Could u imagine a lifelong friend like that ? its a whole new genera of fiction
Robert Heinlein defined love as 'that condition in which the happiness of another is essential to your own' and that is absolutely the way my dogs love me. Which is weird because if you read some of his books he really comes across as a cat person and that's NOT how cats behave. I don't think cats are capable of love in the same way. They don't love us and they spread a parasite that makes us love them. They are an invasive species.
Confession, no dogs or cats and no opinion either way. But, almost everyone that I know that has a dog or a cat uses them as a substitute for everything, human relationship, affection, communication, duty, loyalty, justification.
Great photo of your pups at the end. Over a long lifetime of dogs, I have given my heart to some more than others. Some dogs are more oriented to their ‘people’ than others. Remembering Ducie, Pierre and Phoenix (granddog about whom I still cry), and enjoying my present granddogs, Mojo and Maverick.
I forwarded this essay to my cousin Katya, a professional dog walker who loves animals more than people. She has always been my go to person for animal advice. Below is her response:
"...I REALLY, BUT REALLY AND THOROUGHLY, LIKED THIS ARTICLE, STEVE!!! COMPREHENSIVE! FAIR!
COVERED THE BASES, WITH CLARITY AND COMPASSION. MUCH FOOD FOR THOUGHT...
THANK YOU FOR THE FORWARD...REALLY APPRECIATE IT."
Why does your “curse” in the Upgrade section say you only want $5 a month (which I could take out of my fantasy snooker account) but in fact the cheapest subscription is $7.75/month? I like conversing with you, Alan. And I wanna throw a couple of bucks your way. But . . .
Hi, I used to have that price a long time ago, and I didn't change the ads on the old essays. But Substack times them out. I'll make up a $5 offer for you and paste it in below. It will say ERIC at the end. This should work for $5 https://www.freedomtoffend.com/4c01720d - sorry about the hassle. Paul
What a lovely essay! Brought me to tears and made me miss my dog Winston, who passed two years ago. That's Winston and me in the little photo adjoining this comment. Woof woof.
Thx. I can’t see the pic though.
Hmm, wonder why. Next to each comment I see the avatar for the writer, sometimes a photo, other times just a colored circle.
A really nice piece, intelligent and heart-warming at a time when human beings are so disgraceful and untrustworthy. Thanks for writing it.
Lifelong dog person still have two of five that we had at one time . They are pack animals that need company and protection as much as we do from them . They are emotional companions yet theirs are different from ours more primitive but still similar as we are both mammals . I forget who said the we made a covenant with dogs , think it was Joanh Goldberg ,that has been some what one sided . Good question do they love us as one human loves another? Don't think so . If they do it's they love or just respect us was one dog loves or respects another . In the end I still say our curse is they don 't live as long as us . Could u imagine a lifelong friend like that ? its a whole new genera of fiction
Yes they leave too quick.
Robert Heinlein defined love as 'that condition in which the happiness of another is essential to your own' and that is absolutely the way my dogs love me. Which is weird because if you read some of his books he really comes across as a cat person and that's NOT how cats behave. I don't think cats are capable of love in the same way. They don't love us and they spread a parasite that makes us love them. They are an invasive species.
I don't trust people who don't like dogs.
I’m with you. You are such a non traditional thinker. I love it but many will never appreciate u.
Confession, no dogs or cats and no opinion either way. But, almost everyone that I know that has a dog or a cat uses them as a substitute for everything, human relationship, affection, communication, duty, loyalty, justification.
Actually, I’m more of a cat person!
Great photo of your pups at the end. Over a long lifetime of dogs, I have given my heart to some more than others. Some dogs are more oriented to their ‘people’ than others. Remembering Ducie, Pierre and Phoenix (granddog about whom I still cry), and enjoying my present granddogs, Mojo and Maverick.
I forwarded this essay to my cousin Katya, a professional dog walker who loves animals more than people. She has always been my go to person for animal advice. Below is her response:
"...I REALLY, BUT REALLY AND THOROUGHLY, LIKED THIS ARTICLE, STEVE!!! COMPREHENSIVE! FAIR!
COVERED THE BASES, WITH CLARITY AND COMPASSION. MUCH FOOD FOR THOUGHT...
THANK YOU FOR THE FORWARD...REALLY APPRECIATE IT."
Why does your “curse” in the Upgrade section say you only want $5 a month (which I could take out of my fantasy snooker account) but in fact the cheapest subscription is $7.75/month? I like conversing with you, Alan. And I wanna throw a couple of bucks your way. But . . .
Hi, I used to have that price a long time ago, and I didn't change the ads on the old essays. But Substack times them out. I'll make up a $5 offer for you and paste it in below. It will say ERIC at the end. This should work for $5 https://www.freedomtoffend.com/4c01720d - sorry about the hassle. Paul
Did it say $5 USD or CAD, i put it to USD. Let me know