You get to be like the people you live with

Hello Everyone,

I originally sent out this email on February 12, 2016.

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Among the many great sayings Grampa had, the subject of this email was one. It was most often used in reference to dogs being like their owners, making it appropriate to use in this context. In addition to sharing a name, Grampa and I apparently shared a habit for pondering the lives of our pets. Also, stubbornness and big heads. But I digress. I've noticed something about Arthur lately that wasn't as apparent when he was spending more time with Sophie. He's an introvert. This isn't obvious when he's with Soph, as he just focuses on her. He'll do the dog equivalent of chatting and hanging out, which is to bite, wrestle and sniff her butt. He's very socially engaged in that context. But now that he spends more time just he and I at the dog park, I've noticed that he doesn't play a lot with the other dogs. It's not that he never does, or that he dislikes it, it's just that he prefers to check out random smells along the way, hunt for field mice, and only occasionally mix it up with the other dogs. He'll also follow me around, just to make sure I'm there. When he was with Soph, he wouldn't care much where I was. So in that sense, I'm his social interaction. Once I noticed the pattern, it was quite familiar to me. I chat with the odd human at the park, particularly if they seem interesting, but generally stick to my own company. Especially in the morning. If Abe Lincoln was walking his dog in the same park as me in the morning, the best he'd get is a mumbled greeting. I'm not rude, I respond politely if someone says hi or attempts to start a conversation, but I rarely do so myself. Because of this, most mornings and evenings, Arthur and I are just two dashingly handsome, slightly stand-offish young gentlemen in the park. I can't tell if he's picked up his queues on this behaviour from me, or it's just a lucky coincidence that I ended up with a dog that shares my interest in running around, cold weather, and ignoring those around me. wes

#Dogs