Saturday, May 2, 2015

On the Subject of Barkofarts


My Friend and I

I think I need to explain something to my human friends:  Have you ever wonder how Dogs say hello to one another?
Kisses
Just seconds after my “D” gets home, he’s face to face with my wagging Stub (my tail was cut off as a baby, but that’s another story for another time), wildly excited I just can’t get enough of him.   I used to get so excited I would pee myself, but I’m a big Girl now and can contain myself.  He will then be blitzed by 9 pounds of motorized hair showering him with kisses. Actually, what he is really being showered with is my spit (He calls them kisses because it sounds better). But that’s not the only way I say hello?
Like you, I have five senses: smell, touch, sight, hearing and taste. Humans use the sense of sight as the primary sense for recognizing one another. Dogs, however, use smell. Smell is so important that a dog's sense of smell is thousands of times better than yours. Therefore, not only can I tell what a person smells like -- as opposed to a cat -- but I can also tell the difference between members of your human family based on their individual smells. (Lots of teenage human girls can smell their younger brothers when they are nearby, but that's because boys hate taking showers, not because girls possess high level sniffing abilities.)
I think that's poop over there
Dogs recognize one another by the smell of their pee and poop. That's why dogs greet each other not eye to eye, but nose to butt. By taking a quick whiff of my friend's behind, I instantly know who she's been with. That is also why I smell everything I can during a walk. By sniffing grass, bushes, trees and signposts, I know which other neighborhood dogs have been around lately.
Here is one more fact to consider when you are lounging around petting man's best friend: Dogs are farsighted; that means they have terrible vision up close. So they are far more likely to recognize who is nearby by smell rather than by sight.
That creates some interesting behavior when I am around other dogs.  If one leaves the room, even for just a few seconds, we both smell each other's bottoms when we see each other again. If I translated that behavior into words, it would go something like this:
Sniffing Butt:  Hey, where you been?
Sniffing My Butt:  I was in the kitchen getting a drink, but now I'm back.
Snif:  Want to take a nap?
Snif:  Sure. 

Barkofarts
                 
So what is the Moral of this story?  Next time when I send Barkofarts, just know it’s only my way of blowing you kisses. 

Sooooo, Licks and Barkofarts
Love
Dolly