Hercules the Guide Dog (also known as seeing eye dog)

By Bob Meyers

I have a blind friend whose blindness was progressive over about ten years and is now almost complete. He totally relies on a guide dog. His wife died several years ago so his life has become somewhat narrowed and his guide dog, whose name is Hercules, has become extremely close to my friend.

I recently wrote him a letter and inserted a short story that I had written about my mother who I had interviewed on video tape when she was 88 years old. Some of those clips are very powerful and resonated with him. He had an unusual take on this issue and considering his circumstances of living alone with his guide dog Hercules, wondered what would happen if we could interview his dog. This got me thinking. Those of us that like dogs often try to anthropomorphize them. This means we try to make them like humans. It somehow brings us great comfort to think that our dog knows what we’re thinking and acts in ways that are not just self-serving for the dog but actually almost like friends, sort of a give and take. We take their attention but would also like to take their thoughts, just what are they thinking or not. For a moment let’s just pretend that they do think, and they dream, those involuntary movements that they have are reactions in their dreams. As we know dreams help us solve the problems of the day when we are unconscious at night. So what would I say or what would I ask a dog during an interview?

I might ask...when you wait for me to come home is it really that pleasurable when I walk through the door? I might also ask is it all about food or do you really like me for myself. These are the same questions that we might ask any friend or relative. But a dog, what might a dog say?

Looking for an answer, I went to the only dog that I know that I’m friendly with ...my daughter’s Samoyed. Her name is Lucy. I said Lucy... “I’m trying to figure out what you might be thinking.” She immediately nuzzled up to me shook head slightly to the left because that’s what she does when she wants a treat. I said, “Lucy I’m trying to get into your head, let’s forget about these treats for a minute.” Lucy then nuzzled up to me with her toy and shook it vigorously left and right then dropped it at my feet, hoping I would throw it, which I always do. Once this was done, we went through the ritual of throwing a ball in the backyard with her retrieving it. Is Lucy really wondering what I’m thinking? Is there any reason that I should wonder what Lucy’s thinking? No, Lucy is just an emotional response, a food response, and maybe also my best friend when it comes to these items. I can’t give treats to my friends, they don’t appreciate them, when I throw balls, they do not retrieve them, and they certainly will not take my hat and shake it rapidly left and right when I pull it off.

So what is a dog thinking? It probably makes no difference. We make them happy…they make us happy...no strings. It would be nice if all of life is like that, I like dogs!