Doggone Etiquette—

A Dog For Everyone

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

Have you ever tried to explain to your VIPeople why you do certain things, or why you do things in certain ways that they don’t seem to understand? Tough going, isn’t it. Your heads are stuffed full of their language even if it’s only one word telling you to do something, or a whole screed of words when they’re mad at you. But they don’t always catch onto your special way of expressing yourself. Oh, but there’s an exception — a BIG exception — and that’s when any breed of dog (or mix thereof) appears on TV, in a movie, or in a cartoon. That gets their attention all right. Of course, they only understand it because most of it is your silent dog-talk translated into verbal English with appropriate doggie actions. And, we might add, with appropriate doggie comments about any people in the scene. Let’s see how these fake dogs make it work.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

The cartoon dogs are a mix of canine logic and human frailty. Pluto began life as a nonverbal bloodhound in the 1930s. Only later did he become Mickey Mouse’s pal. Goofy also originated at that time, very much in his own world as a goofball. He was considered (by his viewers) to be a black and tan coonhound, even though that breed is far from goofy. In fact, they make good family pets with friendly temperaments, but because they are born hunters they may take off on their own — hence all the goofy nonsense. The Goofy character reached great heights of popularity, and over time his breed looks changed. Now Scooby-Doo, on the other hand, came onto the scene as a very smart Great Dane. The most modern perhaps is Brian Griffin in the animated TV show, Family Guy. He is said to have an “intellectual” outlook. As for breed connection, it’s anyone’s guess.

Then there is Snoopy, that delightful nonverbal typical beagle enduring all the very human nonsense of the Peanuts gang, and always coming through in the end as the kids’ best friend and true pal. Perhaps that was due to the fact that he did indeed exist as close companion to his creator, Charles “Sparky” Schulz.

All these cartoon dogs are not only amusing and entertaining as characters to watch, but endearing as dogs whether they speak to us in our language or only their own. As a result, it’s not hard to understand how many people when looking to get a dog, will decide they want one like Goofy, or Snoopy, or Scooby-Doo without realizing the extent to which they are referring to the actual breed represented by their cartoon favorite. The artist’s concept of a specific breed may go astray, however, when the cartoon takes hold. You are being won over by both the breed characteristics and by the wacky or extraordinary animated cartoon on the screen. It may be a bit disappointing, therefore, when researching the breed, to learn the real life version is not quite the same!

There are also the actual true breeds that appear in movies we’re all familiar with, such ones as Lassie, the collie, and Asta the fox terrier. When those movies are in production, it generally takes several dogs (identical in looks) trained to perform specific parts in the film. Books about dogs, and references to worthy dogs, have been around since the beginning of the written word. In recent years, perhaps due in part to the success of these cartoon/movie creations, there has been a virtual flux of books about dogs. In many cases the dogs’ breeds are not identified, but whether fact or fiction, the books based on specific breeds can help a person to bring the “right” dog into their life. There are also heaps of children’s books that feature dogs, both real and imagined. Either way, they offer a good means of introducing a dogless child to a furry friend.

Until next time – Enjoy All Dogs!

—Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.