jaunthie | Things that make you go hmmmmm....

As I was coming down the hill this morning, walking to the bus, I spotted one of my neighbors out for a walk. I'd seen her before a few times, but not the golden retriever she had on a leash. It's not unusual to see people out walking their dogs around the time I head off for the bus, particularly not now that the sun is up, so I wouldn't have thought much of it - if it hadn't have been for the reaction of the dog.

I was about three blocks away at that point, but the dog's reaction was easily visible even at that distance. The dog stopped dead in its tracks, stared at me, and then immediately started heading in my direction, tail up and wagging furiously. The neighbor lady wasn't heading in my direction, so she tried to get the dog to come back on course. Nothing doing. The dog alternated straining at the leash and looking up at its owner with a clear "come ON, Mom, we have to go THIS WAY!!!" expression. Eventually they "compromised" by having the dog sit down right where they were, next to the curb, and watch me come on down the hill. The dog kept shifting restlessly, not wanting to sit for more than a few seconds, and its tail kept wagging furiously.

I don't have a ton of experience with dogs, never having owned one, and I've had a few bad experiences in the past with unruly animals. So I kept a sharp eye on the dog and the neighbor as I approached. However, I have spent enough time with Luthien and her pack of magnificent dogs for the dog's reaction to me to be oddly familiar. Familiar, in that I have seen her various dogs react to her appearance in much the same way this dog was reacting to me - and odd, because there was absolutely no reason why this dog (whom I have never met) should be reacting to me this way.

I got within about five paces before the dog couldn't stand it anymore. The dog ripped the leash (a big strong one) right out of its owner's hands and came dancing up to me, fawning and wagging its tail like a metronome on crack, doing everything it possibly could in its doggy way to shout: "You are my goddess! I am not worthy! You are the Alpha Bitch Queen of the Universe, and please please PLEASE may I worship you?!!! I am your willing slave and your obedient pack member and LOVE ME LOVE ME LOVE ME because if you reject me I will DIE!!!"

Well, what could I do? I greeted the dog and gave it a good petting (at which point it went into frenzies of ecstatic adoration) and exchanged a few words with my neighbor, who was just as confused and confounded by her dog's behavior as I was. But I also had a bus to catch, so after a few more scritches, I managed to untangle the leash from under the dog, handed it back to my neighbor, and went on my way. The dog absolutely wanted to come with me, and my neighbor had quite the struggle to keep it from running after me and attaching itself to me again.

So apparently I am a goddess and Alpha Bitch Queen of the Universe today, at least to this one dog who fell down and worshipped me (literally) this morning and so desperately wanted to be mine. I must say, being so openly adored and worshipped this morning did put a smile on my face, and I now have a distinct soft spot for that dog. On the other hand, I'm quite puzzled by all this. Anyone out there (presumably with more experience with dogs) have any possible explanations?