I may not be a dog person but who cannot look at the face of an American Foxhound and fall for the sweet, imploring expression that is characteristic of the breed. While I do not actually own one, I have come to know such an animal and had time to muse on the nature of the dog in general. While cats may show appreciation when you want something, the dog seems to give its loyalty unquestioningly to its owner.
I stated in the beginning of this article that I am not a dog person. It goes back to a fear of dogs that I have never been able to adequately explain. Every time I'd hear a dog bark or have one jumped at me, I always cringed in fear, keenly aware that a vicious predator was about to attack me. If I had gotten time to know a dog, I may have been more comfortable around that particular dog, but it did not stop my fear of the breed in general. In fact, if you catch me on the road somewhere you might catch me reciting an old Pennsylvania Dutch charm I learned to use against cross dogs. Does it work? I do not know. I use it more to keep my own emotions in control. Perhaps that what all the magic that Wiccans practice is about. I cannot say for sure.
But those who have ever owned a foxhound, particularly the American variety can say two things about the animal. The first that it is very loving and the second is that it is so bad. Well, the dog cannot really be blamed for this, the breed seems to have limitless energy and much like our children, if not kept busy, it will find ways to entertain itself that can often be destructive.
Yet it is strange that no matter how often I seem to yell at the animal of get annoyed by its barking when it wants to go out, I cannot help but feel deep affection for it, something that I never felt possible for a dog. Perhaps it is because I never had one as a child, perhaps not. But perhaps you will stare into the face of one of these dogs one day and see their sweet imploring expression. It may not even be an American Foxhound, after all aren't other breeds just as lovable?
I do not know if the love of a dog is unconditional, it seems to me that canines will put up with a lot more than people will, but perhaps we all can learn from their example. I cannot think of a religion on Earth that does not say to at least tolerate your neighbor in most circumstances. This may be due to my ignorance, but since the idea gets repeated so often the person who first thought of it must have been on to something.
While June may not have taught me something at least yet, she has given me something to think about in how I relate to people. It is harder to love people unconditionally especially when some seem to just want to nag at you. I may want to help people underneath it all, but I, like you, am human. I fall short in this goal and easily get annoyed with someone who seems to be going out of there way to irritate me. Perhaps it is the persistent non-judgmental nature of the Canis Domesitcus that appeals to me the most. Our dogs depend on us for almost everything, but unless they receive poor treatment they will always show affection and concern for their human companions. Perhaps we can learn something from them the next time we are ready to give up on someone?
