Tales of Two Species by Patricia McConnell

Author:Patricia McConnell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dogwise Publishing

YOU FILL UP MY SENSES

You and your dog may share a lot, but you live in different worlds

* * *

Years ago, I had a dog named Drift who would spend the evening slowly walking across the lawn, head down and tilted, ears pricked. Every once in a while, he’d stop and stand stock-still, head pointed toward the ground. His eyes weren’t focused on anything in particular, but his ears were so erect they almost vibrated. Often, after a few minutes of intense concentration, he’d burst forward at a dead run, wind sprint a dozen yards across the grass, and then stop and repeat his slow, low-headed pacing.

Over the years, Drift’s behavior entertained a multitude of visitors. Guests and I would sit on the porch, chairs back, iced tea in hand, and speculate on what the heck he was doing. Occasionally, in a fit of curiosity, I’d join Drift on the grass, cock my head and wait for something to happen. Somewhat to my surprise, it did. I discovered how different each patch of grass smelled, and was mesmerized by an up-close-and-personal look at the insects living within the jungle of grass blades. But I don’t think I was really able to share the experience with Drift, because he looked like he was listening for something. I listened too, but never heard a darned thing.

But Drift did—I’d bet money on it. There’s just no other explanation for his behavior that makes any sense. He couldn’t have been sniffing; it’s unmistakable when a dog is using his nose, and Drift’s nose clearly wasn’t engaged. Neither were his eyes focused on anything in particular. But his head was tilted in the way of all mammals when they’re listening for the faintest of sounds. Certainly, there are a lot of critters to listen for underneath the grass. Based on the number of moles who bulldoze my lawn every fall, there must be a veritable cornucopia of beetles—the mole equivalent of filet mignon—living under the carpet of green. Why Drift took off running if and when he heard something is harder to explain. My best guess is that he had invented some version of a doggy board game—if you hear something in the grass, run forward twelve steps. If you don’t, do not pass go, do not collect 200 chew bones.

Of course, this is all conjecture. I couldn’t ask Drift what he was doing, and as importantly, I couldn’t know whether Drift was hearing anything or not. We may share an unprecedented bond with dogs, but because our sensory abilities are so different, we quite literally live in separate worlds. In a classic example of “glass half-full, half-empty,” dogs and humans are more alike than most other animals, but the realities in which we operate are very different. Every animal on Earth comprehends the environment around her in particular ways, and every animal on Earth both perceives and misses things that others don’t. It’s easy for us to forget that what we call “reality” is

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