"Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen."- Unknown
In Foer's "My life as a Dog," he discusses an
ongoing debate regarding the off-leash hours in the parks of New York City. As
a dog owner himself, Foer backs up his opinion with first had experiences on
how beneficial the off-leash hours are to dogs.
Not only did I find this article to be relatable
because I am a dog owner as well, but also because Foer’s definition of his dog
practically described my dog to a tee. The description was not one full of
positive remarks, but more of pointing out the humorous flaws. In this I was
able to realize how oblivious I have been to these signs of clear inability to
communicate properly with my dog. For example, although I am far too
agitated in the moment to consider this, but perhaps the tipped over garbage
cans and shredded toilet paper roll are not in efforts to make me mad. Maybe my
dog is trying to tell me that she is upset or lonely and bored during the day
when her owners have all left for work.
The statistics that Foer shared about young children (ages
7-10) naming two pets on average when asked to name the top ten important
"individuals" in their lives striked me as interesting. In fact,
after reading it I turned and asked my roommate to name the top ten most important
people in her life. Being an animal lover I definitely expected her to name at
least one of her many pets back at home, but she didn't. Regardless of my
failed attempt to recreate the statistic, the statistics that Foer used in his
essay resonated with me because I feel as if I would have named two pets if
asked that question back when I was seven years old.
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