Wild wolves to whippets, fleet foxes to patient pointers, fluffy, ferocious or faithful, give your canon of canine songs a walk - it’s time they had their day
Woof! Their eyes roll, they wag and wriggle, they have expressive eyebrows and massive mouths. They run, jump, lie down, roll and sniff everything in sight. Their primary aim is to make us feel wanted and good about ourselves. What’s not to like? Well, they can be, messy, dribbly, a bit barking and smell like an old rug when wet. But that’s enough about the owners …
I love dogs. But while the politics of the pack – whether in wolves or wild dogs – is at the beating heart of their ancient psychology, history has made an inextricable link between dogs and human companions. Is there something deep within our genetic history to attach us to the canine species? What is it about the dog that endlessly fascinates us? Perhaps most of all it is the sheer range of emotions they seem able to express – whether that be running, jumping joyful affection, undying bravery and loyalty, or hungry, sad-eyed sorrow. It is to such feelings that humans can project or identify as an expression of themselves. Perhaps then that is why dogs can be such a rich subject then for song.
Welcome then to this special musical edition of best in show, with an opportunity to throw out then fetch and retrieve some particularly tasty musical snacks. Read on, but beware, as Groucho Marx put it: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” Those dogs are always hungry. Dogs are not humans, let us emphasise, and they inhabit an olfactory world hard for us to imagine. But first, to reveal the parallels and comparisons and differences between dog and owner, let’s dip into a sample of the film Best in Show (2000), starring in superb ensemble pack, including director Christopher Guest, of This is Spinal Tap fame. You can’t get much better than that.
“You ain’t nothing but a hedgehog, foraging all the time. you ain’t nothing but a hedgehog foraging all the time, you never pricked a predator you ain’t no porcupine.”
Continue reading...
