Travel Blog

After dinner last night we took a walk through the neighborhood. In the park by the river we found Talulah, the young, frisky boxer. She showed no interest in us, having a Jack Russell named Max to play with.

Leaving the park we passed a couple walking their own Jack Russell. "There's one in the park," we told them. "Max?" they asked.

A few blocks away we came upon a woman walking her golden retriever who, she told us, was 14 months old. "Is he still growing?" I asked. "I hope not," she said, tugging on his leash.

On SW 9th, a young man walked toward us with an English bulldog. His name was Kingston. "He's on a diet," the man said. "He was staying with the in-laws up in Jersey and they feed him all the time."

I thought of the interview I'd heard on Fresh Air that noon, with an animal behavioralist. He said that he found dogs and cats just as fascinating as the animals of the Serengeti. What added to their interest was the fact that they were the only animals that had strong relationships with humans.