Country dog, city dog

Hello Everyone,

I originally sent out this email on November 13, 2015.

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For the past week, Oliver, the big, friendly, floor mat of a dog has been staying with us, and it's been a good example of the contrast in country and city lifestyles. (To be honest, it's more an example of their innate characters, rather than country or city living, but that wouldn't make for as fun an email.) Taken together, Sophie, Arthur, and Oliver play out a few stereotypes of country and city living. For Sophie, it's the haughty, high-society diva. She prances along, always with important things to do and places to be. No time to chat. She is noticeably offended if another dog is so presumptuous as to attempt to get in a sniff before she's done hers first. And if a stranger in the park attempts to pet her, she'll ignore them like a clerk in a Parisian fashion boutique gliding past an American tourist. For Arthur, it's the street-hewn toughness, a vaguely threatening appearance and bearing that hints at a dangerous past. Suspicion is the default for any dog or person that approaches. Only after they have first proven to not be a threat can his own threat display come down. If this was the 1950s, he'd drive a motorcycle without a helmet and wear a leather jacket. But for Oliver, it's an earnest, outgoing friendliness that he just wants to share with everyone he comes across. When he sees a person in the park, it's all: "Hi! I'm Oliver. I'm a Golden Retriever from Winchester, Ontario. Dairy capital of Canada! How are you?" When he sees another dog in the park, it's: "Hi! I'm Oliver. I'm a Golden Retriever from Winchester, Ontario. Dairy capital of Canada! Pleased to meetcha." If he comes across an unfamiliar object at the park, and hasn't yet sussed out if it's inanimate or not, his reaction is: "Hi! I'm Oliver. I'm a Golden Retriever from Winchester, Ontario. Dairy capital of Canada! Ain't this just the craziest weather?"

As with any feel-good comedy, this one starts out with two city dogs having nothing but condescending disdain for their country bumpkin cousin. But through a series of hilarious mishaps, he wins them over with his infectious positivism and aww-shucks attitude. In this case, it's a shared love of riding in the car and going to the dog park. He also brings a positive element whenever they greet a different group of dogs. What could be an awkward encounter turns into a rollicking good time as he barrels into the pack like the life of the party arriving late with a case of beer under his arm. (He is, actually, often the last to arrive whenever a group of dogs come to meet. Sophie and Arthur zoom up ahead while Oliver takes a little while to get the engine going.)

He'll be heading home soon, but he'll have lots of stories to tell about the crazy traffic and interesting characters he's met.

wes

#Dogs