Dogs and unconditional love

What is the definition of unconditional love? Love without strings attached. You don’t base love on what someone does for you in return. You simply love them and want nothing more than their happiness. Is that really how dogs love us?

They know who feeds them. And they generally seem fonder of that person than others. They know we give them a comfortable home. Does your dog really give a fig about you when they’re pushing you off the side of the bed to make more than enough room for their own comfort? Sure, they’re happy with you when you play catch with them.  But when your arm is falling off and you try to quit the game, do they still love you? Doesn’t look that way to me.  They look at you as if you’re the laziest loser they’ve ever come across.

And speaking of how they look at you – do you think your dogs judge you? I’m pretty sure mine do.  I don’t eat meat.  Since I’m the cook in the house, I don’t buy meat.  Do you think my dogs don’t resent me for that? When my friend, Brigid, comes over with bacon or chicken or hotdog treats for them, they make it pretty obvious who they love more.  Even Brigid’s dog – we think our Ziggy loves him because she’s always licking his face.  She’s actually licking the meat juice from around his mouth.

Very selfish creatures if you ask me.  And, call me crazy, but I think they might be little idiot savants.  Some days when I give them their food, they look at me like there’s something amiss.  I have a strong feeling they know exactly how many kibbles are in the bowl.  They judge me like there might have been a few more yesterday.

Don’t tell me they don’t judge us.  Ziggy, my 5-year-old female border collie mix, averts her eyes when I’m getting dressed.  I catch her looking at me and then she rolls her eyes away from me as if she doesn’t want to embarrass me. Ozzie, the little male pomapoo glares at me.  I know he’s thinking “how dare you look like that and monitor our treats”.  Little judgmental bastard.

Ozzie scares me sometimes.  He is the more serious, heavy thinker.  When he eats his meals, he always leaves one kibble in the bowl.  Always.  I remember being in my 20’s and hanging out in Washington Square Park.  There was an older man, Buffy, who befriended us.  He would inevitably bring out a pint of something strong and pour a drop onto the ground before he drank.  He would say “this is for the souls”.  I think Ozzie is doing the same thing with the single kibble.  Something for the poor doggies who have passed.  Yeah, I think I’m spending too much time with my dogs.

As critical they may be of us, I’m told they’re actually very good for our health.  There are so many benefits for people who own dogs: They make us walk them so we get more exercise whether or not we want it.  Studies have shown that being with them relieves depression, lowers our blood pressure, our stress levels and even our cholesterol.  An obvious benefit for some dog owners is an extra layer of security.  Not a benefit for me.  My dogs would lick an intruder.  They’d probably join in on an attack of me thinking it was a game…or getting even for the lesser kibbles. I’m on the fence here.

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