As Ususal...

...I am not as prolific as Kate, nor when I speak is it as intellectual. But I feel it necessary to share my newest obsession with everyone: The Dog Whisperer. I know, I am behind the beat as usual. Caesar has already been on Oprah and spoofed on South Park. I never hear the first heartbeats of a trend, always the dying whispers. Maybe I should be a historian, since I only seem to like things once they've passed. In any case, after watching the first DVD of season one yesterday and Sunday, I have learned that it is possible to teach an old blind dog new tricks. Percy is well on his way to learning how to sit. And I also got him NOT to attack an Akita yesterday. All after only 6 shows. Why is this so important to me? Kate says it is because Caesar has related to my inner child. I was always ambivalent about "dominating" my dog. Seemed cruel. But watching the show has made me see that making the dog know that I am in charge is comforting. The equivalent of a child knowing the parents are taking care of him because he is forced to go to bed at 8:00pm every night. The child doesn't feel like he has to parent himself. Likewise, the dog doesn't feel like he is responsible for taking care of the whole house and "pack".