In Praise of All Dogs

I was reading a recent magazine article about World Vets, an organization that sends vets and vet nurses abroad to help animals in regions with sparse or no veterinary availability.  Like the Peace Corps but for  animals.  I love this idea!!  Doing this would feed my soul for years!!  I know everyone reading this blog babies their pets like I do, but there are so many others that need care.  (I know there's a need for help here  too, but the idea of travel always romances me.)

World Vets provides pet sterilization and helps with zoonotic disease prevention.   

While reading this article, I noticed a picture of some of the stray dogs in Africa.  Among them, was a dog that looked like Fenway's twin.  This dog was proportionally shaped, with short brown fur, a dark snooter, white socks, a white star on his chest.   My imagination immediately led me to think of Fenway as a dog from an exotic land, somehow dumped in the suburbs of Dallas.  Maybe he was born in a freighter to some African stray who'd sought shelter in a shipping container just before birthing her litter.  Maybe he was part of a wild dog experiment, and had been shipped over from Africa for some canine genetics investigation.  Or maybe, and far more probable, is Occam's Razor:  this is what happens to dogs when we stop playing with their genetics.

A local dog from the World Vets website - another Fenway twin?

I'm certainly not against selective breeding for ability and appearance - Arwen and Nyxie's genetics were certainly the product of selection.  Their beauty is striking (I'm a bit biased, I know...), and they do just what they're "supposed" to do.  Nyxie protects and herds, Arwen pulls (we've made HUGE lifelong strides to reverse this one) and even at her age, has stamina to rival that of her younger siblings.  Regardless, breed selection should always be ruled by the guiding hand of health and sound temperament.

Beautiful girls undoubtedly to conjuring up mischief!

But in the end, Mother Nature gets it right.  My muttly little dog is both handsome and able.  His temperament allows him to play well and communicate appropriately with other dogs.  He is smallish, yet large enough - not quite a little dog, but not quite a big dog either.  Dogs bred to be tiny or extra large tend to have the most health problems, so "medium" seems to be the safest.  His color provides good camouflage over most terrain, and his quiet watchfulness would certainly draw little attention from prey or predator.

The Mutt of Mystery himself!

Fenway's coat color and thickness would be no match for arctic snows, and his size and quiet demeanor would make him the least effective Czech border patrol dog in history.  But today, in our home, this little brown dog rounds out our international Arwen's Pack.  He brings neutrality. From  his flexibility in playing rough and tumble with Arwen, to playing keep away with Nyxie and her toys, our little man has brought balance.  Who knows where he came from or what his genetics are... It's just a damn good thing he managed to get away from those canine genetic investigators, or from that litter of African strays!
Fenway - Mutt of Mystery!