The last time I had a job where you just showed up and did what you were told was, I think, in 1978. Since then I’ve been a pianist, a teacher, and a conductor. I haven’t been a cog in a corporate machine. As a result, I’m not really sure about work-place etiquette. Are there still rules?
When I noticed some things I thought our supervisor at the doggie day care ought to know about - things you would only know if you were in the yards with the dogs every day - I wasn’t sure what was the appropriate way to bring it up. I ended up relying on our shared language.
I mentioned the problem to my supervisor, and then said, “Maybe I’m just being a German Shepherd,” meaning that I might be hyper-vigilant and obnoxiously OCD.
She replied, “Nah, you’re not a German Shepherd. You’re a German Short-Haired Pointer.”
Good grief! My knowledge of our special language is not nearly so refined as that! I have no clue what she meant. The only language I know on such a rarefied level is the language of Musical Theatre.
I have recently been contemplating how substantially that language draws on the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. His words and music have filled the world for my entire life. From the lyrics to West Side Story (1957) to his most recent revivals (which are still in the works) his words are what we use when our own fail us.
“Sometimes people leave you, halfway through the wood.” I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve heard friends quote that lyric from Into the Woods in reference to a loss. There's the way “Finishing the Hat” (from Sunday in the Park with George) explains the peculiar obsession with our creative process that eclipses all mundane issues in our lives. The titles of episodes of the television show, Desperate Housewives are nearly all lyrics from Stephen Sondheim. It is a short-hand we gleefully share.
The opportunity to learn a new shared language could not be more delightful to me. Here’s a German Short-Haired Pointer:
We have two who come to our doggie day care. The AKC says they are enthusiastic, smart, and always up for physical activity. Loyal to their family. OK, that’s a more positive spin than being a German Shepherd.
Meanwhile, we’ve had a sort-of jail break at work. A German Shepherd mix boarded with us recently who really doesn’t like being confined to his cabin. We regularly put clips on the latches of all the cabins to prevent the dogs from opening their own doors, but Bagel (not his real name) is not deterred. He can remove the clips just as easily as the other dogs can open unclipped latches.
We replaced Bagel’s clip with a little metal oval. It screws together. We figured it would be impossible for Bagel to unscrew. So, our manager was surprised to get a call from the police in the middle of the night, saying our motion-sensors had alerted them to an intruder at our facility. She got out of bed and went to the day care. It was Bagel. He’d unscrewed his metal oval, escaped his cabin, and was working on freeing the other dogs. He is a canine Robin Hood! (Didn’t Robin Hood free people from imprisonment? Along with robbing the rich to give to the poor?)
Here’s a German Shepherd (with a puppy!):
We have another German Shepherd who everyone at work swears is part wolf. I was skeptical whether any dog was really part wolf - isn't that some sort of urban legend? - but didn’t want to dismiss the idea without actually looking into it.
Much to my surprise, there were an estimated 100,000 dog-wolf hybrids in the United States in 1999. Who knew?
Of course, dogs (canis lupus familiaris) and wolves (canis lupus) have a common evolutionary past. Dogs evolved from wolves - I think that’s widely accepted. But they have been separate for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, and have very different behaviors. They are interfertile, which means that they can breed, and their offspring will also be fertile. (Unlike donkeys and horses, who breed, but their offspring - mules - are always sterile).
Most dog-wolf hybrids have not bred in the wild. The wolves' territorial nature usually leads them to run off any dog or coyote interlopers from their home bases. So, most of the dog-wolf hybrids in the U.S. are consciously bred by humans. Here's a photo of one:
Wolves’ behavior, whether they are born in captivity or in the wild, is very consistent. Dogs’ behavior is also consistent. But a litter of dog-wolf hybrids is wildly inconsistent.
Wolves become sexually mature between one and four years of age. Dogs become sexually mature at six to eight months. When mature, wolves begin testing their pack-mates in order to rise in position in the pack. With a dog-wolf hybrid, not only is it impossible to predict when the hybrid will mature, but their adult behavior may include testing their human. (Dogs often exhibit this challenging behavior as well, but on a much more limited basis). When you have a dog-wolf hybrid it’s anyone’s guess whether the animal will exhibit behaviors from his wolf parent or his dog parent.
Vaccinations for rabies and other diseases have not been tested on wolves, so no one really knows if dog vaccines will be effective on dog-wolf hybrids.
Wow. I’m discovering that, although there are a number of dog-wolf hybrids in the U.S., they are really not a good idea. Good to know!
On another topic, this weekend is really the last weekend to mail holiday packages and have them arrive before December 25th (if that’s your goal date). So, this is the last weekend to buy soap gifts for your friends and have them arrive for stocking stuffers.
I encourage you to visit our website, SerenaSoaps.com to order your last hard-to-find gifts for your friends and family. Here is a Christmas gift box to inspire you!
