Appeasement Gestures
My father is a dog. I have met my father in every kind of way. If I take him out in public, everyone is like, “What a well-behaved animal.” He’s the first dog of his kind. I suppose this makes me part dog. I haven’t thought too deeply about that.
Lately, he’s been out of sorts. I’ve been trying to get him to show a little more life. I’d like to get him to sleep out of the cage, to maybe be more human. I want him to see me not as the guy with the food or the dog walker, but as the loving son I am when I’m with him.
What is it like to be a human offspring of a dog? Don’t ask. I may have the very first dog parent! Perhaps that makes me very different.
I grew up in a big house to walk around in, and I was very nervous there. My first years in the house were very tough. My mother was very quiet. She wanted someone with whom she could talk. She would say to my father, “I love you, you’re such a good boy.” That’s who she was. She would say, “You’re a good boy. Don’t worry about the house, you’re not going to be a bad dog in this house, I know it!” She was always so gentle. She tried to teach me how to be kind to everything.