"Despite its consensus on overall dog adorableness, the dog-loving community remains sharply divided on the question of who is a good boy."

I read this is when it published 11 years ago, still think of it roughly twice a week.

Comments

[Stephen]

Nation's Dogs are Dangerously Underpetted - says dogs.

[Micheleforrest]

I've answered it. Two of my granddogs are good boys. The other three are good girls. ;)

P.S. Cute article. But I hate the word "stinker". My good Southern mama taught us early in life that it was a cuss word.

[Billy Jones]

Stinker? Really?

[Ed Cone]

"Stinker" is a substitute for cuss words, not an actual cuss word, but I've known people who might still consider it strong language.

But in the case of many dogs I've known, including the good girl (yes she is) on my couch, it sometimes carries a literal meaning.

[Micheleforrest]

LOL, Ed.

The word "stink" and any and all of its variants are anathema in our household, and all those preceding. To illustrate how deeply that's ingrained in me, it is difficult for me to even write the word, because I hear it in my mind and recoil when I write it. I am not kidding you.

And you would be surprised how many other words and behaviors are verboten in our family's genteel Southern culture. I've moved past some, but not all, of that. For example, my dog is a pet, who lives in my house (even sleeps with me -- shock!), rather than a hunting animal that sleeps in a barn on the farm. ;)

[Ed Cone]

I can hear sweet Southern voices from my childhood telling me not to say "stupid," because that word is "ugly."

Also, Coach Edwards reacting to something that really irked him with, "Cheese and rice!"

I'm still adjusting to the polite, or at least widely accepted, usage of "sucks."

I say horrible, horrible things to Luna, but only in the gentlest of tones. She gets my drift.

[Billy Jones]

I struggled for years with "sucks." Still do sometimes.

I once got my mouth washed out with soap for saying, "durn."

I got a damned good beating for saying, "damn."

My grandfather insisted that "shit" was okay even though we never heard him utter "damn." Grandmother would have never allowed either in her house and neither would Momma.

I picked up my foul language habits after years and years of trips to Chicago and NYC.

I'd let my chickens live inside but chickens can't be taught not to shit in the house.

[Ed Cone]

Your grandfather swore like a Frenchman, Billy, that is, in the tradition where bodily and barnyard functions are acceptable curses, as opposed to squeamish but hell-and-damning Americans.

[Billy Jones]

Ed, "Your grandfather swore like a Frenchman, Billy, that is, in the tradition where bodily and barnyard functions are acceptable curses, as opposed to squeamish but hell-and-damning Americans."

Exactly, thought he might not have understood the reference to the French. He was a farmer, and he had no use for preachers and fancy talk as a way to say bad things about others.

;-)

[Laurie]

"Durn" was forbidden in my family. When my mama felt the need, she said "foot" and "garden seed."

I once slipped and said "shit" in front of her and that memory is etched on my brain forever.

[Laurie]

And of course you say "I swaney" instead of "I swear." Because swearing is bad.

[Micheleforrest]

I can hear sweet Southern voices from my childhood telling me not to say "stupid," because that word is "ugly."

Ed, shared memory!

I struggled for years with "sucks." Still do sometimes.

Billy, believe it or not, this one isn't a problem for me. Probably because it didn't really enter the lexicon until I was past my formative years. My parents still don't like it, though.

Laurie, Mama (and those preceding) says "oh, foot!", "well, I swaney!", and "garden peas", instead of "garden seed". ;)

[Billy Jones]

I remember an uncle of mine almost whipping me because I told my cousin he was gross. (I think, because my cousin had snot running down his face.) Turned out, gross was mountain slang for homosexual and no one was going to accuse his son of being gross.

Thankfully, my aunt intercepted him and explained that gross didn't mean what it had meant back in his day in that particular hollar. I still wasn't allowed to say gross in front of my uncle.

[Micheleforrest]

Back to the subject of the post, my "good girl" (who is actually one of my five granddogs -- I appropriated her from my daughter), is not happy with the current rainy, soggy, wet, nasty bathroom situation. But she is, of course, remaining polite about it, albeit in a rather aggrieved fashion. The forecast is brighter and warmer over the weekend, which should make her happy. The winter months, with snow and ice, are particularly hard for her. I think she has the DNA of a Florida dog. I think I have the DNA of a Florida dog owner.