Do you see what I see? 🥸 Plus, how your pooch colours the world
I was hanging out with my human the other day when he was on the hunt for sunglasses.Â
I’m sure he tried on a zillion of them, but the pair he wanted most, the pair he said suited him perfectly, cost too much. “Over my budget!” he cried, but he bought them anyway.Â
He put on his rose-coloured glasses, and his world was better for it— he soon forgot the price tag!
This got me thinking: What does it mean when something costs too much? Too much money, too much time, too much effort?Â
What about too much Planet?
The sunglasses had a price tag but not a cost tag.
It's usually humans who decide the cost (or ignore it); they choose what is relevant to them and set the boundaries, which are subject to a mash-up of things like their mood, bank balance, values, belief systems, ideals, whether they’re hungry at the time of their decision, and so on.
The cost is subjective, human-centric and often far rosier than real when it comes to the Planet.
Optimism has its place. Like when I stare down my human while he lazes on the couch (still wearing his sunglasses), I believe he will take me for a walk. That kind of optimism works, I tell you. Just keep staring.
But there are truths that can only be seen through the lens of the Planet.
It’s time to switch lenses.
THE DIRT WORTH ROLLING IN...
DID YOU KNOW...
In the early 20th century, millions of chickens wore rose-coloured eyeglasses.
Yes, really.Â
It wasn’t for fashion or sun protection. Factory farmers noticed chickens went into a pecking frenzy if they sighted blood on their inmates and proceeded to peck each other to death. This was not good for business. Â
So, they put rose-tinted glasses on the chickens (sometimes using cruel methods to attach the glasses). The rose tint made everything look red to the chickens, neutralising the sight of blood and saving lives (according to this original ad).
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ANDRE TRACKS DOWN THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS...
'Andre, my dog Sonny loves to play ball. When I say "red ball" he fetches the red ball and when I say "green ball" he fetches the green ball. Does this mean he sees red and green just like I do?'Â
I'm so glad you asked! Humans haven't quite mastered seeing the world through the lens of a doggo, but they’ve made some strides.
Studies support that Sonny may distinguish the red ball from the green ball by sensing the balls' other features, including its shape, how it reflects light, and possibly its smell. But this is down to the individual dog; our ball-fetching techniques are not all the same.
And, we pooches don’t see red and green like you do, as dogs have a different eye structure, but we see blues and yellows.Â
Try throwing a blue or yellow ball into the mix and watch if this changes how Sonny fetches the ball.Â
His reaction might surprise you.
HUMANS WHO PLAY NICE WITH THE PLANET®Â
PTSD Dogs Australia has taken a special lens in aiding Australia’s brave first responders, including fire, police, ambulance services, and personnel from the Australian Defence Force.
They foster the healing of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is often invisibly suffered by first responders, through companionship with specially trained dogs.
In rescuing, rehabilitating, and training displaced and abandoned dogs, they are driven by the belief that every dog deserves a second chance and every human deserves a loyal companion. Â
Bark to that!
That's all for this month. I'm headed to the dog park to play ball with Sonny!
See you next time.
Howling out,
Andre
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