I Want To Be A Dog

Way back in the 70s there was a TV show called Run, Joe, Run. It was a great show. It was similar, in a way, to The Incredible Hulk. Each week the hero would find himself in a new place surrounded by new people with a new problem to solve. And at the end of the show, like David Banner, Joe would leave the town alone, always alone, moving on to the next episode by himself.

The difference, of course, was that Joe wasn’t a giant green monster. Joe was a dog. The backstory for the show was that Joe was a military dog who had somehow escaped. With his super training he was able to enter any situation and save the day. His trainer was always out there looking for him.

It’s been a long time and I don’t remember too much more about the show but I do remember that I wanted to be just like Joe. And I don’t mean that I wanted to be a hero like Joe. No, I wanted to be a dog like Joe! Hey, I was five years old so cut me a little slack.

I remember once being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and that was my answer. I said I wanted to be Joe. Imagine my disappointment when I was told that I couldn’t possibly grow up to be a dog. I was devastated.

I outgrew that desire. I came to understand that I couldn’t be a dog and that I would have to pick some other ambition. But now I’ve come full circle. Yes, I have once again decided that I want to be a dog.

And really, what more lofty a goal can one set for one’s self? Dogs represent everything we wish we could be, everything we aspire to be.

“Dogs represent everything we wish we could be, everything we aspire to be.”

Dogs give love. So do cats but cats do it in their own feline way. Cats give love in subtle ways that only cat people really appreciate. Dogs, on the other hand, give love so obviously that everyone can see it. Dogs gush love. They love wholeheartedly, holding nothing back, lavishing their adoration on their people. Nothing on earth loves quite so thoroughly as a dog.

Dogs are loyal. Indeed, they are far more loyal than most people. We’ve all heard the horror stories of grievously abused dogs. What is most astounding about these stories is that these poor victimized animals would still rise up to defend the pathetic human who abused them.  Dogs choose to love a human and then never stop, no matter what.

Dogs make people feel better. Just being around them is a panacea for all that ails us. We’ve shown this with real science. Sick people feel better when dogs are around. Feelings of sadness can be alleviated simply by running a hand through a dog’s furry coat. Senior citizens living in rest homes experience an improved quality of life just by being visited by dogs.

Dogs are truly amazing creatures and it seems to me that there can be no higher aspiration than to want to be one. I want to be a dog. I want to love as fully and unabashedly as a dog. I want to know what it’s like to be as loyal as a dog. I want to make people feel better just by being near them. Who wouldn’t want to be a dog?

If you enjoyed this post, you should read “The Foundlings” here.

Did you every want to be a dog? Share your dreams below!