Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Bond That Heels

I laughed until my sides hurt as I read Marty Becker's column "The Bond" in last Tuesday's Spokesman. The gist of it was how we underutilize our pets in this day and age of pampering by not making them work for their food. A Dr. Tsengas was quoted as saying this underutilization leaves them feeling bored and prone to developing psychological problems. "Boredom often leads to fat, dumb and frustrated pets." Of course he is trying to sell a feeding product, but never-the-less...

Wow. I am so chagrined. I had no idea feeding Bacchus out of a bowl, raised for comfort; meat slightly warmed for flavor and more easily mixed with the kibble was frustrating to him. Look at him. What do you think??

He's my magic talking dog. He grunts and perfs in perfect English. We tried the Kong thing filled with peanut butter. Instead of finding it challenging, he ignored it. Too much work. He rarely eats dog biscuits though there are always some available for him. He won't touch a rawhide, doesn't chew on his booda bone nor the furniture. He will gnaw on a steak bone now and then. We tried mutt luks to protect his feet from the cold but they were flapping off his feet like reversed swim fins before we ever cleared the driveway. "People" creations don't much interest him.

He is not fat. He is not dumb. He chases the yard tractor and snuffles out pocket gophers. He kisses me good night and awakens me the same way. He gives back every bit of love he recieves. The only frustration he deals with is why the neighbors have left their boxer and husky in their fenced enclosure all winter - even during this past cold snap when the news was full of warnings to take pets in. Every morning when we'd venture out there they would be watching us - cold, lonely and dirty.

It isn't the method of feeding that makes the bond. It's what they're fed.

2 comments:

Word Tosser said...

What I want to know is what did he do.....that he got sent to the corner?

Big Piney Woods Cats said...

Unconditional love, that is what it is. Feel so sorry the neighbor dogs. Why some people have pets, I will never understand.