THE Chinese name their years after the animals of the Chinese zodiac. This is based on legend and could be traced to the influence of Buddhism on Chinese culture.
According to Chinese folklore, 12 animals came to worship at the birth of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. Since then the Chinese have accounted for time according to the order of their arrival… rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The dog was the 11th animal to arrive.
The Chinese New Year coincides with the new moon and may occur anytime between January 21 and February 19. This year (2018) is year of the dog. Let us have the profile of the dog. A group of dogs is known as a pack. A male dog is a hound; the female dog is a bitch. A young dog is a puppy or a whelp.
History tells us that the dog is a man’s best friend. This dog has a “canine devotion” to its master… only to its master. The dog barks and bites if somebody invades its territory. If it bites, it may compliment you with rabies or acute virus disease. If a dog bites a man, it is not news. If a man bites a dog, something is wrong with the dog.
Dogs are lovable animals. In return, they also show affection to their master and to someone who feeds and bathes them. I know this very well because at home we have three bitches… Posh, Hosh and Glyze. Posh is a home dog (from my sister) and is still a virgin. Hosh is a Japanese terrier and she was raped by a terrorist-rapist street dog when she went out of our gate unnoticed. She is the mother of Glyze.
The three bitches are the extended members of our family. They have a separate open-door room where they stay. That could also be their dining room and quarrel room. Dogs love to play when they are happy and show their fangs when angry. By nature, dogs are moody, especially the bitches. Their hormones could be a factor for mood changing that’s why they are “bitches”.
Dogs influence human beings if we want to believe Chinese astrology. I am not an astrologer but I am a keen observer. Human beings can be like dogs if their “dog instinct” will dominate them physically, emotionally and socially. Human beings are like dogs when they settle their conflict ungentlemanly. Their tendency is to fight, to smear, to wound, to savor the aroma of blood… and even to kill just to prove who is superior.
Human beings are like dogs when they cannot suppress their sexual urge. Dogs can do it with passion anytime even in the middle of the street. Human beings could be passionate like dogs but it goes beyond morality if they express their passion under the table of a crowded restaurant. Dogs do not observe morality. During the mating season, the hound could take any bitch and vice versa.
Dogs are very social animals. They love to assemble in the middle of the plaza or even in busy street and they just urinate of defecate anywhere. If your food is not well attended to, they can grab it anytime… and other dogs will start chasing that food grabber. Human beings sometimes express the same attitude.
Those are what we do not want in dogs. How can we positively like be them. Dogs honor their commitment to the persons who love them. Some dogs are recipient of military medals. Some dogs are more alert than policemen in detecting hidden drugs. Home dogs can do the work of security guards. If we want to be like them, then be like them by showing loyalty to your calling.
Dogs can be trained. They can do things that you don’t expect they can perform. Farmers have hunting dogs. Shepherds have chasing dogs. My dog Posh moans. She seldom barks. I love to train dogs because they are fast learners. Students and employees should “somehow” learn from the “study habit” of dogs just for them to learn their lesson and work fast.
Dogs are very sensitive. They can easily relate to humans if positive affection is shown to them. You may call it “instinct” but sometimes a father needs a “dog’s instinct” to understand the yearning of his family. A dog can risk its life for the family of his master. Family members can be like dogs if they have that loyalty to stick together for good… for the survival of the family’s honor.
Politician should not bark at each other like dogs. Businessmen should not grab like dogs what belongs to their employees. Religious leaders should attend to their flock like what the bitch is doing to her puppies. The leaders of our country should stop brawling at the opposition like dogs.
The “year of the dog” is giving us the option to be like dogs, to be “under dogs,” or simply as “learners” from the dogs. New styles will emerge… doggie dance, doggie kiss, doggie hair, doggie face, and instead of talking some people will just bark at each other.