Ever seen a man take his dog out
on a walk? Doesn’t it look rather like it’s the other way around - you
know, like the dog is taking the man out for a walk? The dogs go first
and we follow. Whenever it sees a tree it likes to mark or a lady friend
who takes its fancy, a mere leash won’t be able to restrain it. All
those fetch Brunos, roll over Brunos will not work if the Bruno in
question is not up to it, let alone playing dead.
Dogs have a mind of their own. I recently read this science fiction
story whereonly an intelligent alien was aware of how - by cunning -
dogs manipulate the humans and how, thereby, humans become unwitting
subjects that do the bidding of dogs at a slightest whine, whimper or a
simple twitch of its tail bone. I am reminded of a scene in the famous
movie Men in Black, where Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith talk to an
alien disguised as a (talking) dog - what else ?
 Cats
and dogs displace humans every day. I was just talking to a colleague
who fondly admitted how she was forced into a corner of her own bed my
mere kitty litter! But the worst thing is that she loves it. She also
seems to love having the kitten sleeping so close to her that she could
smell their fur!
And the worst thing is being forced into taking care of stray cats
and dogs. One of my friend’s home has been transformed into a stray
animal clinic and her mother has become an unwilling nurse to all its
patients.
My friend had once adopted a couple of abandoned baby squirrels and
had entrusted them to the care of her poor mother who was a teacher of a
nearby school. She returned everyday after lunch to feed the squirrels.
It was nicknamed the ‘feeding hour’ by her follow staff members.
And I don’t know why some people talk to their dogs in English, when
they talk to other people in Sinhala, for that matter I don’t understand
why they talk to their dogs at all. As if they understand human
languages!
Some dogs and cats receive better treatment than the domestic
servants.
Not to mention the sort of cooing sounds that people make when they
are ‘talking’ with dogs.
By the looks of it, it won’t be long before the SF version of dogs
comes true.
So beware of the smiling tail-wagging friend. It may have a lot up
its furry sleeve. |
