Dog Fascist?

Are you a dog fascist? I am, according to Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, an anthropologist and dog expert. In her book, The Social Lives of Dogs, Thomas chronicles a fifteen year time period with four of her beloved canine friends. Thomas shares story after story about the many animals that live in her home. The main thrust being that, even with multiple dogs, they chose to reside in groups with a human rather than in a group with each other. Sundog, the stray she rescued from freezing to death, was her inspiration. Not a fan of telling her dogs how to be or act, Thomas allows them have their freedom on her country property. The only behaviors she trains them to obey are:

1. the meaning of "no"
2. to go to the bathroom outside
3. to come when called

The beautiful thing about this book is her genuine love for all animals. Thomas does her best to explain their thoughts and feelings in a smart, realistic manner, asking the reader to come along and believe she's a canine mind reader. As an anthopologist, who has lived all over the world, she comes off as unpretentious with her no nonsense writing.

So, why am I a dog fascist? Thomas believes that the American way of breeding, training and locking up our dogs is inhumane. Dogs know who they want to breed with. They know who they want to live with. They can learn to behave in public without humans freaking out and always having them on leashes. The mere fact that I have a pure bred dog makes me a dog fascist. But I'm okay with that. This book opened up another perspective on pet owning. Maybe one day I'll let Charlotte off her leash and run free in a field. But until that day, I think we're doing just fine. She gets more walks than any little dog of her size really needs.