Exotic Animals

They may not be exotic, but they are amongst the world’s most popular animals…so I have to mention them.

Dogs are not my favorite.  Anyone who knows me, knows this.  In fact, my earliest memory is getting bitten on the head by a dog.  I remember it as a giant, 200 pound, slavering, man-eating beast.  My mother tells me that it was just a small puppy.  Amazing what a difference in viewpoint of 30 years can do, isn’t it?

So why am I talking about dogs?  Well, I’m staying at a friend’s house for a few days, while my place is undergoing some much needed renovations and repairs, and this friend has a dog.

A mutt.

A big mutt.

Well, not that big.  But big enough.  And he slavers.  Sometimes.

OK, he’s a ordinary, average sized, stray born, mutt.  And he’s friendly.  And he likes me.  But it doesn’t change the fact that, when I see this black shadow walking through a darkened house while I’m on my way to the bathroom at 2am, my heart jumps.  And then the dog rubs against my legs like a cat.

I think that he thinks he’s a cat.  There are a lot of stray cats in this neighborhood.

I’ll be glad to get back to my own place, and away from the dog.  He’s a friendly dog, and he doesn’t hump legs or bite hands, but he’s still a dog.  Even though he’s growing on me.