Think about it: According to a credible source I'm too negligent to bother citing, 68% of Americans live with psychopaths. Surprised? Not really, considering there's more guns in America than people. We'll also do anything for those charming psychos that share our homes, even call them our BFFs. How weird is that? Really weird. Especially when you consider that those psychos are our cats and dogs. Creatures who kill for a living; no remorse. Of course at the beginning, this lasting union was probably more of a of a working compact; felines were employed as resident cave exterminators and canines...
Once upon a time, a sense of wonder pervaded our very existence. Things like rainbows, cloud formations, the whiskers on Grandma's chin, it was all, like wow! A time when Narnia seemed more like a possibility than a book, a time when a pack of bubble gum would make your day, a time when happiness was really a warm puppy. "Don't live in the past," the sages pronounce, yet I will never turn away from the past - no apologies, no regrets. In fact, I still see life through the eyes of a child because I have a dog, my eternal...
I'm convinced that canine intelligence is much more complex and nuanced than folks give due credit. We blindly believe in Pavlov's Dog theory; Condition the pooch to follow basic commands by rewarding him with a tasty tidbit.There's some truth to that and if you've ever attended obedience classes, you know what I mean. "Sit" - treat. "Heel" - treat. "Come" - treat. Do it enough over an extended period and you have a trained dog. But what about when you have a dog that's an independent thinker? Like a border collie, a sheltie, a terrier and many other breeds...
