Thursday, August 26, 2010

In Dog We Trust


...had a yoga teacher once who talked a lot about the tailbone...as yoga teachers are wont to do...pointing out that it’s an evolutionary vestige...meant to control the tails we no longer have...unfortunately...

...with tails, he said, dishonesty would be impossible...imagine playing hard-to-get with tail wagging vigorously...or, conversely, trying desperately but failing to make it move while emitting false, empty I-love-you’s...

...looking after my friend Bella...pictured, above...for the week...a chance to renew my abiding faith and trust in...dog...

turning out the lights,
I hear a thump thump thumping
on the wooden floor

12 comments:

bereweber said...

awww such a lovely post Dr. Jay, it made tail wag while reading it ;) woof woof!

a couple of months ago i saw the weekly announcement outside a church saying: "Do you spell your best friend's name God or Dog?" <-- just an informative piece, mine are cats but i'd reply Dog heh heh

Bella is truly 'bella' btw

earthtoholly said...

Welcome back, Bella!

With all the tail thumping and swishing, sounds like it's gonna be a noisy, breezy week at your place, drjay. What fun...Lucy is envious! (She sends Bella a !woof! by the way.)

Ya know, it seems so natural to have a dog here at your place...

Kim said...

What a cutie! Our dog's tail has a mind of it's own and having wood floors, we can hear every emotion he has. Kind of makes me grateful we don't have tails.

Laura said...

Dogs are truly the most trust worthy of creatures!!!! tails do indeed tell all...but never tales. My dog Ellie is one of my dearest companions, I imagine from her constant nearness that she feels the same way about me being her human.

Lydia said...

I very much trust in dog too. (And dog, after $600+ oral surgery last week, better trust in me!)

Hi Bella :)

Brooks Hall said...

Thump, thump—sound purely
emanates. Loving beacon
warms darkness neatly.

Lana Gramlich said...

Just think of what a world it would be if more people were as guile-less & loyal as a dog.

Anonymous said...

How true. Dogs just 'tell it as it is'.
I have 2 Jack Russell Terriers and their tails are nearly always wagging - and to think, this was a breed that used to have their tails docked!

My dogs also have very expressive ears - I can read from their body language when they are happy, joyous, ecstatic, jubilant... and very rarely, sad. (usually when we put our coats on to go out and they realise they aren't coming along!)

Melissa said...

How funny, I literally wrote this before just before reading this post http://drschnookleheimer.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-now-believe-in-god.html

Dog is in the air! :)

ad said...

What I love most about dogs is the absolutely shameless way in which they ask for love and affection.

Makes me wish that humans were a little better at asking for - and providing - love and affection.

Great post!

Eleanor said...

Hiya Dr Jay, this is a delightful post. My canine companion 'helps' me in my asana practice most days - demonstrates downward-facing dog etc. She is getting on in years and I dread the day we are no longer together on this plane. She's my LBD (little black dog) and I blogged her a couple of weeks ago!

WR said...

I've responded to a number of your dog/yoga posts. So of course ~ am doing so again. Wagging tails don't necessarily mean a happy dog. My animal rescue friends have taught me that dogs have complex body language and pack behaviors. Dogs can wag their tails just before biting another dog or human. I've come to think of it as a sign of energy release. Watch the whole dog's body along with the tail. :-) Having said that I should add I think the yoga teacher is right. We humans would be less complicated or at least less deceptive if we still had tails. My own little pack (3 canine companions) remind me daily that being in the moment is a joy.