doggy dog

It was reassuring to read that a new study shows dogs have personalities (via ecelctica) I had a hunch that these three house canines could somehow be differentiated, but thought I might be imagining it. Meanwhile there's a lot on imaginary dogs in this extract of a new book Acts of Dog by Susan Wyndham, and also on the pain of doglessness.

There could be a time and place in my retirement, in the country, in my dreams, when I would share my home with another dog. I love the wordless, unquestioning intimacy of a dog's company but I love and admire dogs more.

A dog in a terrace house is no better off than a bird in a cage; he will tame his instincts and love you back but his spirit will suffer, and so will your furniture


Poor old Doug. Lived 13 years in a tiny terrace with me. My furniture did suffer, but I think he did better than a budgie. His spirit soared for a boundless hour each day in the wilds of Yarra Bend, and the rest of the time his spirit snored under my typing feet. And now when the room is willing the flesh is weak.

It's just a doggy dog world. Which is one of the common mispronunciations (and malapropisms) gathered here (via bifurcated rivets)

and in the world of blogs it is fairly doggy dog apparently (via anil dash)
The second feature – dynamic competition – is that established positions in the blogging world need to be maintained actively or lost. “[B]logging is a daily activity,” writes Shirky. As beloved now popular bloggers are “they would disappear if they stopped writing, or even cut back significantly. Blogs are not a good place to rest on your laurels." Simply put, there is constant competition for the top positions. Established positions must be earned again day after day and there is downward mobility.

food for thought as bloggers vote in the oz best in show awards.

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Comments: doggy dog

Mispronunniations or malapropisms I liked these when I heard them. (Refers to pile of yellowing yellow Post-it notes collected for no good reason.)

Sydney racecaller: X racehorse "was making ground in the straight but suddenly lost its momento."

Again a racecaller: X horse "went like the heaven of hades".

"A heart rendering occasion."

"Waiting with battered breath."

All true. Post-it notes don't lie. I have the polygraph records to prove it ... also a pile of Polygram records.
Posted by Sedgwick at January 7, 2004 07:04 PM

Yes - I though t it was a bit strange to label them all Misprons when some were clearly Malaprops, so you may notice that misboynt has now adjusted the text.

and those post-its are worth their weight/wait in yellow.
Love heart-rendering, although it makes perfick sense to me.
Posted by boynton at January 7, 2004 07:31 PM

Dogs have personalities. Suddenly I feel the cold breath of academicism sliding down my spine. What do we mean by personality? I presume a personality is a set of systematically repeated behaviours in similar situations.

Of course dogs have personalities. What are we talking about - robodogs? But then, look closely at the test as described, and all it does is establish that people have systematic ways of describing dogs. It's completely about projection which is something different.

Coco the Wonderdog has a different personality according to the amount of extremely cute hair she is sporting. Short hair she is ratlike and cunning, middle she is winsome and loving, long she looks depressed and worried. I can change this personality in an hour with a set of clippers, and we do.

Little Dog has a personality - but its real characteristics are completely other, and I don't know her soul at all. She is a dog, who does dog, and its not imitation human.

Cripes, I got serious.
Posted by David Tiley at January 7, 2004 10:23 PM

I know what you mean by the otherness of some dogs. We had a much loved lab once - who although did do human 90% of the time, always kept something alien, unknowable in reserve.
Bronte the small terrier who looks abit like the dog in the Age link continues to amaze me with her
ability to do human - she pre-empts things in almost a telepathic way. No doubt there is a rational explanation - very quick (neurotic) on learning and adapting to routines, but it can be creepy, especially as she so closely monitors my activity.
And the dreaded Flo - while mostly wolf and other, is starting to adapt to my silly affection. She is slowly becoming more expressive - wags her tail more and more - copying Doug - the original sook who did not need to aquire sookiness. Had it from day one.

I knew it was a bit of a gratuitous link, but tied in well.
Posted by boynton at January 7, 2004 10:43 PM

heh, heh, love the "battered breath"!
Posted by Gianna at January 8, 2004 10:21 AM

Do I detect a touch of guilt about Doug's life?

Maybe it should have been two walks a day at Yarra Bend?

One in the morning and one in the evening?
Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at January 10, 2004 12:51 AM

No, Gary, while I am inclined to guilt in general, I think he's done ok all things considered.
He often used to get 2 walks a day, morning and night and sometimes 3! As well as many country stints,poolside holidays and beach jaunts.
But the main thing is he had my company - which is what they seem to want more than anything.
I have observed many dogs on acreage that hardly venture into the space available, and whose greatest joy remains the company of their pack, as well as a standard walk-on-leash (as in the confines of city.) That is the factor that Wyndham and others overlook I think.
The dogs who I feel most sorry for are dogs that are in solitary confinement (and doesn't matter if that's 1/4 acre or 10)...They're pack animals and they thrive on routine and close company.


Posted by boynton at January 10, 2004 12:48 PM

Lecture me and I'll bite you, Gary? Speaking as something of an expert, one a day's fine for me. Woof.
Posted by Lassie at January 10, 2004 05:51 PM