The Words That Are Necessary

Sometimes, dogs can just, simply salivate when they discover that humans really do understand.

Arthur Plotnik, author & publishing house exec, made me salivate in the first paragraph of the Introduction to his recent book - Spunk & Bite:

Sometimes when I'm digging for the right word, I long for a terrier-like acuity, a canine's sensory gifts applied to language. Imagine if dogs ever figured out how to write - how to put that punkiness and bite for theirs into literature. Think of those olfactory superpowers attuned to sniffing out metaphors or tracking, not the bone mot, but the bon mot. We dry-and-fleshy-nosed writers could be in big trouble.

I'm here to tell you you that dogs understand the foundation of writing - the language that humans speak. Let me give you a example.

Take discombobulate. What do you think this means? Did you know it can mean: bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat? Now, I can use this word in a sentence. Let's see: Daddy you discombobulate me when you feed squirrels corn in the backyard and are happy when I chase them away. But, like, why would I? It's not clear what my message is. Why wouldn't I just say: Daddy, no! Actually, I would. It's humans like Daddy - especially Daddy - who take time to get to the point.

Could it be that humans want to keep their options open, give themselves the chance to explain and "amend" their message?" Hmm...

Dogs on the other paw get right to the point. While we could react to "discombobulate," we don't, not because we do not understand the word but because we are here to teach you to be more direct and say what is necessary. So...we react to words like: go, sit, stop, no, fetch, come (well most of the time to come).

And we bark, growl and woof. More on this language later.

bww