Pooch Cafe by Paul Gilligan for August 08, 2010

Three dogs, one toy, and 30 seconds. I don’t see this working out very well.

Boys and their toys.

I have been dragged to Macy’s bargain basement. BEHOME, I would reconsider your choice of words.

Two of you should fight for it for 30 seconds at a time! lol

Your missing it. They are holding it for 30 seconds, rather than chewing on it. That’s why it’s no fun. What good is a chew toy if all you do is hold it.

I was once surprised to see a police dog-trainer reward the dog with a few seconds of tugging on a chew toy. Apparently it’s a remnant of a wolf’s instinct to tear its prey to shreds and fight for the scraps. Nice doggy.

Most of dogs’ forms of “play” are vestiges of hunting instincts and skills. Same with cats. Nothing wrong with that. Humans engage in sublimated combat and hunting, and call it “sports”.

One recurrent gag in “Pooch Cafe” is that, in many cases, a dog is only interested in something if somebody else has it, or is trying to get it (that’s so perfectly dog-like, but I’ve never seen another cartoonist use it). That’s why “tug-and-shake” toys (as opposed to purely “chew” toys, which serve another purpose) are so popular. If your dog actually manages to get the rope away from your grasp, he’ll bring it right back so you can grab it again. If you chase him he’ll run from you, but again that’s part of the play.

King Solomon should step in and take charge.

Solomon’s wisdom is proverbial. The following famous story illustrates his wisdom as a judge.

Three dogs came to his court, each claiming that it was the owner of the chew toy. Solomon threatened to split the baby into three parts. Two of the dogs were prepared to accept the decision, but Pancho demanded that it should be kept in one piece and released to the most famous of the three.

Solomon then knew that this decision was above his pay grade, and withdrew to his castle and watched the Yankee/Red Sox on ESPN.

@macjack—-That’s just crazy.