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Blue
Story and photographs by Neville Cole
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I say why would you want to?
Old dogs got it all worked out. They appreciate the finer things in life: good food, good company, a nice nap in the sun, and the occasional stroll in the park. Old dogs don’t make a fuss unless they really have to. Old dogs are nearly always close by. Old dogs make me look forward to being an old man, almost.
My old dog is Blue. She recently came back to live with me because a young dog decided she was past her prime and tried to rip her head off. Blue was beaten and miserable when she arrived at my door and the big wound across the back of her neck took forever to heal.
But with time and peace and quiet some of her old vim and vigor has returned. A nice bone from the butcher makes her deliriously happy and when Lisa talks to her in a high sing song tone she gets downright puppyish.
It’s nice having an old dog around. Granted, I live alone most of the time and my kids, when they do turn up, are all grown. I don’t need protection or entertainment from my pet. Someone who will listen to my complaints and rambling thoughts and doesn’t require all my attention in return is pretty much perfect for me.
Right now Blue is taking a nap at my feet. That’s very comforting for a writer.
She is at me feet a lot. Blue has this way of showing respect. She wants me to always be in the lead. This is fine except when I try to walk into a room she is already in. If that happens she tries to bulrush past me before I reach the doorway so she can follow me into the room.
As a result almost every time I move from the bedroom to the living room or vice versa I have to be sure to dally at the doorway and dodge the bustling black and white blur determined to find her proper place in line.
I guess I could try and find a way to train Blue not to do that; but really, why bother, she’s an old dog and pretty much set in her ways. One day far too soon I will be too.
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
Lovely description of cynicism, Neville!
Cynicism: from cynos, dog. The philosophical view that happiness comes from feeling one with Nature and from living only by what Nature has provided you with. Like dogs. They hoard nothing, carry nothing on their backs (and are thus weighed down by no material things) and live for as long as Nature gives them breath.
The cynic most people know of is Diogenes of Sinope. Known for his eccentricities. Lived inside a huge jar with no possessions except a tin cup he used to drink water with. Walked around the streets of Athens with a lit candle, looking for an honest man.
One day he observed, to his amazement, a dog lapping up water from a puddle -as is their wont- and immediately felt disgusted with himself. Fancy carrying a cup around when his tongue or hands could suffice. So he threw his single possession away.
Enjoyed the sun a great deal, just like your dogs, Neville and so when proud child-emperor Alexander came down with his army and offered him anything he wished, Diogenes simply told him to move a little to the side because he was blocking the warm rays of the sun. That was his only wish in life.
To which request, the child emperor remarked in response, “Were I not Alexander I would wish to be Diogenes!”
Dogs are by far the greater philosophers to man!
Thanks again!
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Diogenes is one of my favorite philosophers, atomou… and I’m especially fond of the story about his meeting with Alexander. I reckon the point of this tale (ouch!) is ‘All or nothing’… If you can’t be the ruler of the world, then it’s best to be insignificant; no possessions; no repsonsibilities and no rat-race to keep you chained to the wheel… Wise fella…
🙂
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Weeeeeeeell, yes and no, asty!
The cynics had a philosophy that talked of happiness coming from a harmonious living with nature. What you are suggesting is a defeatist view: if you can’t beat them join them, type of thing. Alexander admired the integrity of Diogenes’ belief, to wit, “carry nothing!” “Live as if you were a dog, happy to have what nature has given you.”
Alexander admired Diogenes’ way of living but Diogenes despised that of Alexander.
It’s a brilliant exhibition of philosophical counterpoint.
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What you say about Diogenes’ philsophy is quite true, Atomou, and I’m well aware of it; however, my comment about ‘all or nothing’ was in reference not to Diogenes’ philosophy, but to Alexander’s, whose comment to his soldiers, who were highly amused by Diogenes’ snubbing of the Emperor, was what we were discussing …
Also, it’s not so much, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!”; it’s more, “If you can’t beat ’em, DON’T join ’em!”
As you say, it’s a brilliant exibition of philsophical counterpoint.
😉
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Nice story Nev… but is it a ‘shaggy dog’ story, I wonder?
😉
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she was a bit shaggy but it all fell out. been cleaning hair up for weeks now.
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Well… as long as she’s not shaggy now, Voice will probably forgive you! She says she doesn’t like shaggy dog stories (but I don’t believe it for a second!)
😉
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Hey Nev, Thanks for that.
You just need children and watermelon wine.
Yes, dogs are better companions with age. They get to know your instincts, and you get to know their habits.
My two are 3.5 now and developing their idiosyncrasies to fine art. Good company.
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Hey, VL, did you see my (somewhat belated) response to your comment about your ‘Pink Floyd’ allusion on my ‘Know Thyself’ blog? I think perhaps you may have ‘moved on’ before I posted it and so perhaps you haven’t seen it yet… I was kinda looking forward to another reply…
Something I didn’t say in that response, however, is that I don’t agree that we’ve got to ‘stop socialism’… though we do need to control ‘rampant capitalism’; what we really need to do is to try and discover some kind of balance where we take the best of both systems and synthesize them… Is it possible? I don’t know… but if we just allow ourselves to go from one ridiculous extreme to the other, then, like Dr Dolittle’s ‘pushmepullyou’, we’ll never get anywhere.
🙂
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No no, I spot most things, but don’t necessarily re-comment. it’s just too time consuming.
My comment about socialism, was tongue in cheek. It’s far too deep a subject to elaborate, & debate in here. It’s like religion: It can get out of hand.
A middle steady course would be great. That’s what we hope we’ll get when we vote.
But as I said, elsewhere, “we are people”! ..So we have personalities that run the whole gamut of emotions, motives, desires and abilities.
WE WILL NEVER BE EQUAL.
Some of us have this righteous indignation, that thinks their way is better. Everybody should share, be good and not rock the boat. Everybody else is wrong.
I know that I am not right, but I try to fit in, assuage, pamper and converse.
If that doesn’t work, I lob grenades 🙂
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Oh ….The Pink Floyd thing?? It was about Syd Barrett???
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Yes, VL… I know your ‘Floyd reference was to Syd Barrett (Pychedelic Syd, as we used to call him), but it was also in a context which made me think that perhaps you intended to suggest that Breivik was also off his trolley… a ‘lunatic on the ground’…
Anyway, thanks for your responses…
I suppose you’re probably quite right, and certainly much wiser, from a personal survival point of view, but sometimes we find ourselves driven to do stuff even though we know it’s not good for us… As for your suggestion that I should ‘make a whole lot of money’ before even thinking about trying to study such problems… I only wish I could; making money is something it seems I never quite got the hang of; the best money I ever made was when I was busking in the South of France… but it was impossible to hang onto any of it…
I don’t necessarily think ‘my way is better’… but I do think ‘there must be a better way’; it’s just a pity no-one seems to be looking for it…
😉
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Of course my reference to money was flippant too.
I was just meaning that doing the sort of study and analysis t5hat you proposed (albeit wistfully), is/would be hopelessly time consuming and would cost squillions.
One would need to conduct tests and blind question surveys. (I don’t mean literally blind of course)….sorry, but I find that I have to express myself in triplicate sometimes 🙂
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Our Fergus is only seven, but, in many ways, an old dog. Still spends the whole day trying to get into the bedroom where the night shift human is sleeping (I guess he thinks we are sick, if we are abed all day), and often finds a quiet corner of the house to nap (recently on top of a pile of old curtains destined for Vinnies).
At least once a day he gets that young puppy attitude that it’s time for a walk, or, when it’s raining, time for a human to get down on the floor and play. He does protect the house from imaginary cats, possums, and the occasional real marsupial mouse. Very important role!
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Funny our Dana is the same age and does many of the same things. Protecting though might be a different thing. She’d bark then want to lick you.
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Oh, yes, ours is very aggressive towards unseen foes, which I guess may be far off cats or possums. Humans, however, are there to provide food, walks and treats, therefore none could be regarded as enemies!
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Big M, is your dog also a Jack Russell? Milo keeps possums, stray cats and some birds away from us and our garden.He is friendly and sometimes bored with small dogs, most times he growls and bares his teeth when confronting larger dogs…he’s very brave.
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No, he’s a West Highland Terrier, bred for hunting. Did manage to clean up a friend’s mouse infestation. Never managed to catch anything else. Still bewildered by the fact that birds can fly!
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Oh, forgot to add, excellent help in the kitchen, especially when meat is being trimmed, cut up, etc.
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Nice one Neville. I miss our blue healer he was a fantastic animal. The place I live in now is too small for a dog so I just have to live with the memory.
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You could always buy a hampster, Hung…
😉
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Its not a rat!
Hamsters are fairly easy on the walkies.
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Thank you for writing this lovely article.
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Our Jack Russell, Milo, is a young man in his prime. He is also the boss man about the house. He’s sitting on his chair next me right now, he’ll make sure we do not spend too long on our computers. He jumps up and and takes your hand off the keyboard; it’s time to eat or to walk.
He makes sure, from the distance, that we are both getting into the car before he jumps in, he likes to keep the family together.
The previous car was a station wagon and he practically owned the back section. Not too happy in Gez’ new Holden Cruze, his place in a sedan has been downsized… luckily he likes the colour…
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Lovely.
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