Cautious Speech Around Delicate, Shaggy Ears

Last week, Ian was telling me something admittedly rather gruesome about the real-world origins of a particular long-standing fantasy-villain in the English-speaking child's imagination across multiple countries (no need to drudge up the details here...).  But then he got concerned, because he was sharing this story in front of Golden-The-Dog; he was worried that Golden might be disturbed by it.

I asked him if he really thought that Golden could understand a story like that, and he said that he wasn't sure, but it was possible.  After all, dogs do understand some human language.

And really, the lad has a point:  everyone recognizes that domesticated dogs can understand some human words - otherwise they wouldn't come running back into the house when Amy beckons them in yodeling, "Cookies!"  So it follows, then, that they might understand a story Ian was sharing that dates back to pre-industrial Scotland.

(December 13, 2014)