Be more dog.

The advert which urges us to be 'more dog' amuses me endlessly.

On the one hand, the idea of a cat pretending to be a dog is comedy gold.  It certainly raises awareness in the viewer, though for my part is more the awareness that cats look hilarious when acting like dogs.  I could not tell you what that advert is advertising.

I couldn't tell you what the advert years ago with the dancing car was selling (well, I assume it was a car - I just don't know which kind), because all it made me want was a Transformers movie.  Which we got.  Then we got two more.  Then I wished I hadn't wished for a transformers movie.  Though, to be fair, I made no wish for said movie to include a building falling over for most of the film.

I suppose many of my favourite adverts don't really advertise much to me; I see them more as short pieces of entertainment, or lessons in life.  The one with the little dog not wanting his toy/best friend to be thrown away makes me remember to value those I love.  Also, that I shouldn't throw away my dogs' toys, which is why my house is full of bits of chewed up dog-toy.  (I'm sure that Bryn has videos all queued up on YouTube to show me if I ever try to chuck any of them.  He is the dog most likely to go for passive-aggressive guilt-tripping.  Pippin would just kill me.)

Given this whole 'don't really know what it is selling' philosophy, I suppose it doesn't matter that I only remember the cat and not the product.  I still find myself amused that the advert is partly telling us to live a life being something other than we are.

Yes, I get it is saying to try something different - it could be better.  But that is somewhat ironic as well.  Dogs don't try to be something they aren't.  That is one reason they tend to be happy.

I can certainly get behind taking on more of a dog's world-view in terms of living in the now and being utterly delighted with small things.  It doesn't matter how many times we give Pippin a new squeaky toy - that thing is always, in that moment, the very reason for all of creation.  And it is hers.  No question of sharing it with her two brothers.  No doubt or hesitation.  Hers.  I feel she is a lot less stressed out about life than I am, with my internalisation of this idiotic idea which society has forced on me, that not everything belongs to me.

Also, naps.  Think about it.  A dog is always ready to go out on the next adventure.  Why?  Because whenever something interesting is not happening, they nap.  They don't sit around thinking they should be awake just because it is designated awake time.  We do.  I have heard people say 'I'm really tired, but it isn't time for bed yet.'  Which is daft.  They aren't doing anything.  They make this announcement and then sit there and stare blindly at a TV show they don't even want to watch, just because it is 'not' bedtime.  It's too early.

If you are tired, and have nothing interesting to do, why can it not be bedtime at any time?

I bet dogs wouldn't sit around at work with nothing to do, pretending to be working, either.  They'd have a nap.  Or leave.  How much of our time do we spend doing nothing of any use, which we also don't enjoy?  It would be better if we all got to run off and bark at trees in such a circumstance.  Or whatever it is you want to do.  Barking at trees is not for everyone.  I get that.  It is an acquired taste.

The point it, dogs are often happier than humans.  When they are upset or scared, they dial that up to abut 600, as well, but once it is over with, then it is really over with.  Whereas we sit around and dwell on it for days, most likely whilst sitting at work, with nothing of interest to do, yawning.

Of course, if I did decide to take on the dog philosophy, both the dogs and I would starve, as part of the Book of Dog is that food just appears in bowls.  If I stop going and buying it, with my money earnt by going to work whether it is a useful day or not, and my understanding that the future won't just turn up by itself (at least, not a future which involves biscuits), then there will be no food.

Maybe I should take a bit of a leaf from the Book of Dog, though, and try to live more in the now.  It is a whole thing with meditation and Mindfulness and hours of counselling sessions, but just deciding to be more like my Border Collies might be as helpful.

I will start by napping upside down with my head at a funny angle.  That seems to work for them.