Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Democratic Dog

It is cold outside. It is cold everywhere except our living quarters. I have been spending quality time with my pets and the TV.

I have said before that my dog, Toni Louise, is an avid TV viewer. Besides her eye fetish, she enjoys watching TV. She will sit perfectly still, totally absorbed in a program. She likes Jon Stewart on the Daily Show, but will simply fall asleep when Colbert comes on. Loves Animal Cops, too.

Yesterday, though, she was entranced with Obama's speech. She watched the inauguration with all the pomp and circumstance, but the speech had her full attention. She had my full attention. I was answering e-mail and reading blogs when I noticed her. I wondered what had her so riveted to the TV. Who knew my dog was a Democrat??

Or, maybe she is a Republican and was paying close attention, looking for fault. At any rate I wondered what attracted her to what she liked to watch on TV. I thought is was audio. She likes to answer barks. Maybe it is a tone of voice she likes, or even the programmed laughter. I always wonder what she sees when she looks at the big screen. Wouldn't you think that she would react as if there were an intruder in our home if she was seeing the TV the way we see the TV?

Today she was curled up on the ottoman next to my feet. I thought she was napping. I put the program on hold to go stir the chili in the crock pot. I knew there was a commercial on, but didn't really pay much attention. She started barking in earnest while I was in the kitchen. I told her to stop, figuring Mr. Martha, the cat, had decided to torment her by playing with one of her chew toys. She did not stop. She was mad, her ruff had risen and she was growling and yapping away. I came into the room, intending to scoop the cat up and scold her for barking.

Martha, the boy cat, was in his usual spot in the lone chair asleep. When I looked at her to see what was causing her agitation, she was staring at a troll frozen on the TV screen. I guess she does "see" what is on the screen. She likes Obama and Jon Stewart, but disdains trolls. She is a Democrat, after all!

7 comments:

Brian Miller said...

hahaha...definitely democrat...that is funny...i had heard they could not see the screen as well....interesting...smiles.

ellen abbott said...

I think animals know that TV isn't real in the same way they know their reflection isn't another animal. They may not understand what it is, but they surely recognize people and animals and trees and whatnot on the TV screen. Why would they not? But it is interesting that she was so riveted to Obama' speech. I wonder if it's just the cadence of the speech, the pitch of his voice. I wonder if any person giving a speech would catch her attention?

joanne said...

That is funny. What would we do without our furry kids and the tv eh? Democrat...I love it!

SkippyMom said...

I love this. And I had no idea that dogs could see TV. I thought they weren't able to see it because it is 2D.

Must be all the silly dogs I have had through the years. They never paid a wit of wheat about it. Then again it may make them smarter than the rest of us. heehee

Linda O'Connell said...

Ahhh, my very first laugh of the day. Love it!

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Joanne Noragon said...

All dogs are democrats. Cats are independent.