Commander Speaks, Again!

This is Commander speaking. Perhaps you remember me. I used to live in that big White House in Washington and used to bite people. Since leaving that house I have been very happy. I don't miss anything there, except maybe the nice doctor lady.

I now live on a farm far away from a big city. There are kids here and cats too. I like the kids. They never stop petting me and playing with me. Sometimes we play pretty rough, but I never bite them, never even think about it really. The people here are very nice too. They always tell me to "Speak," and I do, a lot. But I also listen a lot too, and I can tell that sometimes they are not very happy and I don’t know why. I think it may have something to do with that thing with the big screen that they watch all the time. Sometimes they say some nasty things and shut it off.

There are about a dozen cats here, and they look mean. I avoid them, and for the most part they leave me alone. They're too busy doing cat things, like sleeping most of the time and chasing mice. I don't even want to bite them although I feel I should somehow.

I really don't know what's come over me. I'm so peaceful now. I no longer have a desire to bite anyone, but I wanted to bite everything in sight when I was in that big White House with the old man and the kid that always wanted money and smelled funny.

Now I have a lot of room to run around in and be a dog. Sometimes my new people take me to what they call a "dog park," where I can run and play with dozens of other dogs of all shapes and sizes. I like it and have made a lot of new friends.

The big dogs are the most friendly, while the little ones are constantly yipping and racing around. They're cute in a way, but obnoxious and for some reason I still don't want to bite them. I think it's nice that there are so many dogs here and we all get along.

There are dogs from all over the world, but what I think is nice is that we all speak the same language. A bark in French is that same as a bark in Welsh, German (my favorite language), Chinese, Japanese, Maltese or whatever.

We have Labrador Retrievers of all colors. They're very friendly. I like the way the Alaskan Huskies strut around like they own the place. The Akitas have a nice curly tail. Then there are the little dogs: the Pomeranians, Shih-tsu, Pekingese. There are also Dalmatians, Scottish Terriers, British Bulldogs, (I think they look funny), and even a Shar-Pei from China.

They come in all sizes. I barked a good laugh the first time I saw a little Chihuahua playing with a St. Bernard, while an Irish Wolfhound looked on with a puzzled look on his face. I think you already know that I am a German Shepherd, which is the best dog ever.

But I don't make a big deal about it. I like the fact that we all get along. Sure there are squabbles every now and then, and maybe some unfriendly snarls, but after a while we all just walk away and let peace take over the park.

It seems that human beings are not as rational as us dogs. They like to fight. They usually don't bite each other, mainly because they have better ways of causing pain and injury. They even kill each other, sometimes in the cities where they live and sometimes in countries halfway around the world. I don't understand it. Dogs would never be so dumb. Even cats are smarter than that.

I wish more people would come to the dog park to see what life should be like, with us dogs getting along so well together and solving our problems without killing each other.

Sometimes, when my people ask me to speak, I wish I could tell them in their own language how worried I am about them, how I wish they could get along with their neighbors and even people from other countries like I do with the Welsh, English, Chinese and other dogs from around the world.

Why can't people be as smart as dogs? Speak. Tell me.

(NOTE: Our thanks to a reader who suggested that the ongoing adventures of Commander might be of interest as commentary on the world scene. It is an excellent suggestion and I hope this column fulfills his expectation.)