Dog Friends We share our world with a dog. She is now 4 years old but still acts like a puppy. In her secure cocoon with regular meals, games, and routines the serious and defensive side of canine behavior never develops. The dog is also a master at adapting and this has fooled many dog owners into thinking they are seeing the whole dog.
Improving our relationship with dogs took a big step forward about 20 years ago with new ideas about training. Another big leap forward is the current trend to join dog owners with group games. It is very popular here with both dogs and owners. The word used to describe this is "agility" and clubs are everywhere. Another significant event is the appearance of two new magazines. One called "Bark" and the other called "Bonkers". Both magazines focus on enjoying a dog rather than breeding or selling. Less showing or collecting and more stories, research, and even poetry. Here are some news bites from "Bark" (www.thebark.com): Researcher Patricia Simonet reports that dogs can laugh. It isn't recognizable by most humans but it is picked up by other dogs who also begin laughing. Dogs are so adaptable they have formed relationships with lions and even fish. Stories about both appear in the Fall 2001 issue. "The truth is, I believe, whatever quirks are contained in doggy brains, by and large they are put there by humans." -- Jan Shoales
