My Own Theory of Pets
In Stephen King’s short story, “L.T’s Theory of Pets,” the separation of husband and wife is attributed to the never-ending quarrel about their pets--- a dog and a cat. What struck me to the plot was the affection of the dog to the wife and his hatred to the husband. What kind of brain their pet has--- Peeing in the husband’s clothing, blocking the door so the husband can’t enter the master’s bedroom and reject the food if served by his guy master.
Dogs are known to be smart and loyal to their masters. So what makes them smart? What makes them create their own choices? What makes them choose between right and wrong?
My parents have their two dogs—Girlie and Blackie. Each of them behaves differently. But, both of them love and are afraid of my dad. My dad is a strict and loving parent. I guess that’s how he is with the dogs. He is the one to feed and bath them. Oftentimes, he talks to them. He asks questions, says endearing words and states the dos and don’ts. Yes, the dogs are expected to follow the house rules.
Somehow, my dad is successful in training his pets. The last thing they want is to piss my dad. So, they don’t fight over dog food. They immediately come to my dad whenever they are called. They don’t complain when taking a bath. They play with my dad. They stop barking when told.
However, these dogs know how to anger my dad in other ways. They have the hobby to chew clothes, slippers and shoes that are lying around. A new Nike rubber shoes by my dad was heartily chewed by Girlie. If you can just see my dad’s face, he can kill that time. Anyway, as a punishment, my dad will not allow the dog to enter the house for a while and will not give him dinner for some nights. Well, it’s not really effective. For a while, the dogs will avoid chewing items in their sight. Maybe, it’s the urge and they will do it again. Like humans, they never learn.
So, in my own theory, dogs still make their own choices. Deprivation, pain or coldness are not really effective in correcting their unwanted behavior. They know how to be lovable and how to be a mess at the same time. Thus, dog owners can’t just simply get rid of them. They’re like us, humans--- repeating mistakes, loving and getting afraid sometimes.
