Inequality

I was asked recently by KB if I thought that people tended to be afraid of Morgan and reluctant to pet her.  The question made me think about several things.  So, I've been musing some on the differences between the Greyhounds and our recent German Shepherd addition.

As far as people petting the dogs goes, most people walk up to the Greyhounds and ask to pet them right away.  Of course, the hounds are known to pretty much go up to people and expect to be petted, too.  While they're at it, they'll throw in a sad story with their eyes that tells about how they're never fed at home, forced to live in horrible conditions that sometimes involve having to get off the couch for their own water, and never being petted.  They have people running to fetch them all sorts of things in the blink of an eye.  Bunny, in particular, is a master of this. 

However, Morgan is not always so sure about people.  She is not the dog going up to others and asking for pets.  Usually, she watches Bunny in horror when we're out on hikes and walks and prepares herself for the moment when she's going to have to pounce on someone for trying to steal or harm her pack mate.  Often, though, I've noticed that she takes her cues from Bunny and Blueberry and will follow them up to people for petting after a seeing that they don't pose a threat. 

So, the answer to the question is a bit complicated.  Yes, people tend to be reluctant to pet Morgan, but she is also reluctant to be petted.  Certain people never get her stamp of approval, too, and we do not push the issue.  At least she's not always shopping for another home where they'll feed her whatever she wants, when she wants, and expect it to be carried in on a golden dias by a cabana boy.  I've found that on the hikes where Morgan wears her backpack, she is approached more often, too.  She's not a hairy almost-wolf, she's a dog in a backpack.  Apparently that translates into "not scary." 

So, while I think people will always pet the Greyhounds before the pet Morgan, I think the girls are all happy with that arrangement.  It may not be for the right reasons on the parts of other people, but the girls have no complaints.  If only they were always so easy to get along with on everything else!

I'd also like to mention that I was recently interviewed over on River Dog Prints, if anyone is interested in reading it.  They come up with great questions!  This was part of a series they're doing, so you may get to read answers from other bloggers in the future.