Mood:
coolTopic: "How Dogs Love Us" (10)
Several weeks ago, official canine protocols were violated by Dandy (successor to Mick, the Wonder Dog). Independently, Dandy discovered a cache of spoiled food which he promptly proceeded to ingest. Despite his protestations to the contrary, punishment commenced. The following day, Frodo and Sam, accompanied by the entire canine contingent, including the miscreant Dandy, departed for holiday. The transit took nearly seven hours portal to portal. Upon arrival the contingent was released from their "hidey holes" and granted access to appropriate facilities. Dandy reflected a serious level of diarrhea distress. Over the next twenty-four hours, the suffering reached a worrisome level for the Hobbits.
On nine occasions overnight Dandy would enter the bedroom of the Hobbits whining in pain, seeking passage to the facilities out-of-doors. Every time Frodo walked out with his friend helping him when possible and observing the increasingly ugly bloody product. Frodo prepared himself to visit a nearby emergency veterinarian. Sam convinced him to wait a full twenty-four hours, allowing the cycle to match the similar experiences of the Hobbits at various times in the past. Frodo was not sure, but he acquiesced to the wisdom of Sam.
The following afternoon as Frodo lay nearly napping, Dandy entered the bedroom and jumped upon the bed. He stretched his entire length of body upon the Hobbit and laid his head on the chest of Frodo. Their eyes met, and Dandy commenced to lick Frodo upon the chest. It was an uncharacteristic moment, and Frodo soon realized that an act of gratitude was taking place. It was Dandy's way of telling Frodo that he felt much better, and he was, well, grateful, for the assistance. Perhaps "I love you Frodo" was being communicated between species?
Several days later Frodo was introduced to a book written in 2013 by a scientist at Emory University. It is entitled "How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain"(Gregory Berns). The tale is of a scientist who was eventually able to obtain an MRI of his dog, in order to answer the questions ever wondered by man about his canine companion (Imagine getting any dog to endure 15 motionless minutes of mechanical sounds and movement in an MRI in order to take hundreds of comparative pictures, if you will). Eventually, the scientist began to draw conclusions from the movements and responses in the canine brain patterns. He feels strongly that dogs are "appreciative" of their human "masters" but he stops short of "love" as something his analyses could confirm.
He should have asked Frodo, and Dandy. Sometimes you just know.
