1/21/09 WHY IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO TALK WITH YOUR DOG

Wednesday, 8:30 AM. 19 degrees, wind NW, light. The sky is rapidly filling with gray clouds blowing in on the winds. The barometer predicts partly cloudy skies. It was a spectacular sunset yesterday, the kind which might be considered a portent.
We had chop suey last night, with rice. Lucky looked longingly at us throughout the meal. Dogs love rice. Why? It is better not to ask.
Dogs are wonderful companions, and can be our best friends, at least if we have no other friends. However, they are not people, and if we expect them to be, we and they will both be vastly disappointed. Case in point: why do dogs love rice? If I could talk with Lucky, and he with me, the answer would be, I suggest, something like this: "Boss, I love rice because it tastes exactly like fresh rabbit guts, especially with lots of soy sauce on it." Or something worse.
So, don't even think about conversing with your dog. Teach him to obey a few simple commands and say "good boy" and pat him on the head a lot, and leave conversing with him to Dr. Dolittle