If I had a magic wand, I would wave it over Bok (above), and have him speak English for a whole day.
I would be fascinated to hear what he thinks of his world, and the part he plays in it.
I would also like to know what he thinks of Freddie, our cat; that's been puzzling me for years.
I'd like to know his opinions about the food I give him, the walks we take, and even the bed he sleeps on (usually my sofa).
I want to know what season he prefers; although I think I know this already. I want to know if he has any real dislikes. I'd also like to know why he has this in-built desire to organise other animals into herds.
He could tell me about dog linguistics; if all dogs speak the same basic language. I'd like him to tell me if there is some natural caste system between different species of dogs... i.e. if an Afghan Hound is socially superior to a Terrier Allsorts.
I'd also like to know what memories he has of his old chum Monty, and if he misses him.
Most of all though, I want to know if he loves me as much as I love him.
One of the reasons we love animals is that they give no opinions. They love us whether we are brilliant or a-holes.
ReplyDeleteBut, it would be nice to know!
DeleteI think he is thinking the same thing about you from the way he looks to the camera.
ReplyDeleteHe looks at me all day long.
DeleteBecause you ARE his world !
DeleteYou want him to speak for a whole day and then shut up again? Paul wishes I would!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't possibly comment; Lady Magnon might read this!
DeleteCro
ReplyDeleteYou really are just an old sook where your dogs and grandboys are concerned aren't you : D )
Yes.... I really am!
DeleteDon't change !
DeleteI can answer your terrier question. Nothing will convince a Terrier that he isn't the equal, both in size and importance, to an Afghan Hound.....
ReplyDeleteYour Bok is a lovely boy, you're lucky to have each other :-)
I had a small black-n-tan terrier mix, and he was a prince amongst dogs; his name was Hamlet.
DeleteYes, if only they could speak - such tales they would tell. I have recently read a book about heaven where people could take lessons in dog talk. It all sounds very simple when you know what to do.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a bit like Richard Adams's 'Hedgerow', which was a mutual language between all animals.
DeleteWhat a lovely post. My mini schnauzer is standing beside me as I type. He always does this after breakfast and if I stop stroking him he nudges my leg !
ReplyDeleteI know the situation exactly!
DeleteThat is a beautiful idea. I think though the next day when they couldn't talk I would miss too much. Absolutely beautiful
ReplyDeleteBut at least you'd know what was going on in their heads.
DeleteHe's a beautiful boy, your Bok, with striking eyes. And he obviously adores you. I think the first words out if his mouth would be "I love you" and "feed me".
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit stormy here today, and Bok HATES storms. I've been sitting with him, with his head on my lap, trying to calm him.
DeleteI love this post Cro, this is the kind of thing my mind dwells on, wondering if the animals and birds actually think like we do.
ReplyDeleteWe were watching a flock of pigeons just yesterday and I wondered if they missed the ones that inevitably died.
Maybe I just have too much time on my hands, ha ha
Briony
x
We were expecting Bok to be 'sad' after Monty died, but he seemed to show no signs of missing him. That would be one of my questions.
Delete"Arf!'
ReplyDelete"What?"
"I said, ARF!"
"What?"
"Oh never mind."
He's Francais. It's weuff, weuff.
DeleteThey same way that pigs say 'oink' in France? (think about it...)
DeleteWot?
DeleteI think Bok would say : I love and adore you! I have a four-month-old Labrador pup at my feet as I blog. Thanks for this post. I love to ponder about such things. Bok is a handsome lad and it sounds as if you two were made for each other.
ReplyDeleteOur Monty was four months old when we got him. Lab' pups are such fun.
DeleteI found this quite emotional. My old guy is 15 now and I still haven't figured him out.
ReplyDeleteI rather like older dogs; they slow down to our pace.
DeleteI don't think he needs words to tell you how much he loves you !
ReplyDeleteIt's been raining today, and he's had his head on my lap for most of the afternoon.
DeleteWe have two very affectionate yellow Labs (girls), and most of the time we think we can guess what they're thinking. Depending on the time of day it's either "Have I really just had my breakfast ?" or "Isn't it time for dinner yet??"
ReplyDeleteAs Roger Mugford so rightly said all those years ago - a Labrador is a life support system for a stomach ! We're not sure if they think about much else.
I can confirm that with our Monty. He was the easiest dog to treat with pills; just throw them in the air and say 'Catch'.
DeleteWell I can't speak dog (though doggerel is less of a problem) but I realised early on in my life in New Zealand that the birds sang the same song but with a different accent (yes, really!).
ReplyDeleteDoes that also count for Kiwi's?
DeleteIt would be nice if we could converse with our pets, but I don't think you need to do that to know Bok loves you. I'll bet he tells you so dozens of ways every day.
ReplyDeleteI thought about you today. We went to a British car fayre, and in addition to a lot of gorgeous cars, they also had a boot sale for the first time this year. Reminded me of the first time you mentioned going to a boot sale on your blog, and I initially thought it was a shoe store with boots on sale. But the boot sale we went to today was a little funny, because one person WAS selling boots. :)
SELLING BOOTS! That goes against all the rules of Boot Sales.
DeleteInterestingly we saw an Afghan today, the first for many years.
ReplyDelete