Cairn

Next week is the dog's 14th birthday. He is a Cairn Terrier (think Toto, but since he is a midwestern dog he is a little beefier). Although I have never confused him with our children (he does not have a driver's license and he is cheaper to feed), he has a definite personality and is a member of the family. I was reading an article recently about the ability of animals to communicate verbally or using signs. It is fascinating to think about what animals might tell us if we can figure out a way to remove the barriers to our communication.

A few years ago, I participated in a wolf howl. Some twenty of us drove out into the forest in a yellow school bus with a guide. We tiptoed out of the bus and stood in the road in the pitch black night. Our guide began to howl in a wolf-like manner. After several attempts in a few locations it was a thrill to hear a den of juvenile wolves return the greeting, though I couldn't help wondering if humans howl with an accent. If we ever manage to communicate with wolves we can ask.

Our Cairn is a pretty good communicator. A short sharp bark means he wants to come in from outside. A long volley of barks signals a squirrel or the mailman. The other night he sat at my feet and emitted a growling, groaning sort of sound that clearly said "I want to throw up and I need some help finding a good spot to do it." (We finally settled on a place outside by the fence). He has a greeting for when I come home from work which involves tail wagging and two figure eights through my legs. On weekends when I sleep in and he sees me for the first time, the traditional greeting is a touch of the nose to a foot. He is becoming an elderly dog and I will miss him when he is gone.

My daughter talks about bringing her young dog, Rayo, here from El Salvador, but I think the culture shock would be too severe. She says they have two types of dog toys in El Salvador--those that don't squeak (rocks) and those that do (chickens). I don't think a chicken chasing dog who is used to looking for fun with his dog posse in the quebradas would be happy in a country of licenses, crates, leashes, and brightly colored fake fur toys. The Cairn agrees with me.