Yappy Little Dogs

A little over two weeks ago, little Junebug came to live with me on a trial basis. She’s a ten

pound bundle of love and energy and has, of course, found a home. I’d been ready for another dog for several months, having lost Jack Teagan over a year ago.

Jack was a red and white pi-bald dachshund/Jack Russell mix. He loved to climb on furniture and sit on my shoulders, run until his ears flipped back, and eat everything in sight.

Junebug is a two-year old brown and black chihuahua. She loves to leap onto furniture and sit in my lap, chase squirrels, birds, and butterflies, and daintily pick out the bits of kibble in the one brand of canned food she will eat.

When Jack first came to live with me, he felt a need to protect me, so he barked at everyone, but soon he realized we were both safe and mostly barked only when surprised.

Junebug is learning not to bark at ordinary household noises, but she is a yappy little dog, who absolutely loses her mind barking at dogs we pass on the trail. She pulls at the leash, pants excessively, spittle flying, until the offending party is no longer in sight, and takes several minutes to calm down. Especially if we see them again on the return trip.

The scary thing is that she seems to enjoy these interactions. To be honest, her behavior reminds me of some people, who pick fights, yell obscenities, scream absolute nonsense at anyone who dares offer a different opinion, anyone who dares encroach on “her” territory.

Thinking about the differences in Jack and Junebug’s behavior led me to realize something about humanity. It is normal for us to surround ourselves with people who look, talk, act, and believe as we do. It’s normal to hang out with people with shared values and customs.

In the olden days this worked well. A Lord or Liege would require an annual oath of fealty from people in his clan. Churches invited or required attendees to become members of a body, so that they would uphold shared values and share a responsibility to maintain the facility and the fellowship. The sheriff and mayor of small municipalities might escort strangers to the city or town limits with instructions not to return because “we don’t hold with that here.”

The message was clear. No differences of opinion allowed.

In part, holding a set of standards for behavior or actions or attitudes is about belonging. It’s comforting to know the expectations of the society or group in which we find ourselves.

Knowing what clothes to wear for which occasion, going to the “right” schools, even choosing a house in a “good” neighborhood can help one find a place. Although teenagers may fight the conformity of their parents, they, too, fall prey to this custom as they follow the trends of fashion, language, and behavior.

The ugly side of belonging, though, is that it creates divisiveness. If one doesn’t belong, he or she becomes an other. The “others” aren’t a part of “us,” so we can turn them away, ignore their ideas, keep them out of our neighborhoods, refuse to do business with them, or worse.

What does this have to do with my dogs?

Well, Jack Teagan came from a hoarding situation. Swearing fealty to his master was a good way to get fed. Accepting others was a good way to avoid fights. Junebug came from a sequestered home, where she ruled the roost. Her mistress courted her with human food and loads of attention, but no socialization. Now, as a young adult dog, she’s having to relearn her position in the world and rethink her strategies about social interactions.

Junebug’s old behavior worked in a small, isolated environment, but it’s no longer acceptable in a larger community. Sometimes old dogs have to learn new tricks.

The United States has always had a diverse population with different ways of doing life, different beliefs, different ways of dressing, different attitudes towards one another. What works in one community or city or state would be ridiculed in another. We don’t all have to dress, act, believe, or behave the same way in order to get along.

We just need to learn to share the trail, to recognize the other’s humanity and treat people as we would want to be treated. Love and commonsense go a long way toward a more peaceful and enjoyable walk for all.

Jack Teagan

Junebug