On one of our rides last week, we made our usual stop at Tim's in the Grove before taking the coffee down to the lake. While I was inside ordering the brew, someone tied their dog to a post near Cuppa. As soon as Cuppa spoke a few friendly words, the mutt rolled over and assumed the requisite position for a tummy rub.
It's something that I have been noticing a lot lately. Has there been a big societal change or has it always been so?
I speak not of canine tummy rubs, at least not necessarily, but of the bond between woman and pooch.
It seems to me that the phrase Man's Best Friend is no longer true if it ever was. Or if it was, I interpreted wrongly, for it must have meant man in the broad sense as in mankind or human as opposed to male. But methinks that it really did mean males, and, if it did, the times they are a'changin.
The phrase should be altered to say Woman's Best Friend because it is they who are walking the dogs in my neighbourhood. Not that men don't as well, but it seems that the preponderance of walkers are female.
Are they family pets, and is it the ladies who walk them either because no one else will or because they want company on their walks? Or are women choosing canine companions in unprecedented numbers? If so, do they choose out of loneliness, desperation, or preference? Could it be that the pooch makes a better companion than the typical male?
Really, I have no idea what's going on. It's simply a phenomenon, at least in these parts, that I have been noticing.
I'd like to discuss this more, but Cuppa is approaching with the leash and saying "Walkies?!" Apparently I am dog enough for her.
Thank goodness. But when do I get my tummy scritched? Huh?
I have not been single in a very long time, but perhaps among other things, they think it is a good way to meet men.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it's worth picking up all the poop, though. Just to meet a guy, that is. If you do actually meet a man, then you are picking up both dog poop and the guys dirty laundry, so I am thinking its not that great of an idea.
"... man in the broad sense."
ReplyDeleteVery witty, AC, although I don't often hear women referred to as "broads" anymore. LOL! (I'm kidding, of course.)
Ok, I guess.....
ReplyDeleteProtection!
silly men.
Women have this thing about strays - at least all the women I know - and better to pick up stray dogs that need belly scratching than stray men...
ReplyDeleteCompanionship is a biggie, but in most urban areas I would imagine security is a big one too. Not many people would mess witha woman walking a dog (Unless it's a really tiny dog, and most of those little buggers can be savages too).
ReplyDeleteOn the way to work every morning I see far more woman walking dogs than men. The few men I see are usually WITH a woman! In my subjective experience, the woman ends up walking the dog because the guy doesn't think of it or busies himself doing something else (so he doesn't have to do it!)
ReplyDeleteHi there, AC! Thanks for visiting my photoblog. Sorry I haven't been around over here much lately. Good to see you two are still riding! As far as women and dogs...I don't have anything witty and clever to say, but in our house, I'm the dog person and my hubby is the cat person. Who'd a-thunk it?
ReplyDeleteI'm the dog person, my husband is the cat person.
ReplyDeleteI also have two 'granddogs' that I love with wild abandon.
Recently I've discovered why I love dogs so much. They ADORE me! No one else does. Cats do not do 'adore'. Other family members, not so much either.
I think there's quite a gender mix, myself, at least in my experience.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a young man in Philadelphia, a male friend of mine had a job walking a beautifiul Dalmation around the city every day. He decided he wanted to write a book called "A Hundred and One Ways to Pick Up Girls With a Dalmation."
We have a doggie and my husband is the one who typically takes the cutie-patootie for a walk. Don't know why, but our dog seems to "put on the brakes" when I try walking her... she just seems to like walking better either with him, or with the two of us together, than just with me. I would agree with the above comments that women probably choose to walk with dogs for security/protection reasons, especially in urban areas, even suburban areas. And about Lisa's comment above, what is a "quaker parrot"? I know very little about parrots, but that is one name I've never heard of before! Made me think of Quaker Oats, or perhaps the Quaker religion? Somehow I doubt there's a connection there, but who knows...?
ReplyDelete