Remaining calm and ignoring bullies completely is Cameron’s way of letting them know a dog’s world trumps hooman worlds (and words).
By today’s standards, you should not say anything about my big ears, short bobbed tail, excessive drooling, wild stare, incessant begging for a treat or some of my truly annoying daily actions. If you say something I could remotely find offensive — that’s bullying! Well, comments are possibly bullying if you are a hooman kid who gets a prize just for showing up. I take bullying in stride.
We dogs, and especially me, have thick skins. Pour on the rude ear jokes, disgusting comments about drooling or visiting bars, quirky words about raising a leg to pee on trees and mailboxes, and other off-the-cuff comments. I’ve heard it all, and I can take it. My response to comments and name-calling focused on me is standard—I often think “whatever.”
My “whatever stare” means I’ve heard you, but I simply chose to ignore you. This means you have wasted your time, thoughts and oxygen trying to belittle or instigate me to act. Remaining calm and ignoring you completely is my way of letting you know a dog’s world trumps hooman worlds and words. Whatever.
OK, I also look for key times to return offensive words with action. A good response is belching in Mike’s ear while he’s driving down the road and I’m standing in the truck cab just behind him. I can belch better than the best sailor! When all the windows are rolled up in the truck is also another great time to get even by passing gas. As a result when I do this, Mike screams I’ve turned the truck into a gas chamber. He should have seen this coming as a response to his bullying me.
As you can see, bullying a dog can end in what hoomans see as a negative response. You have been warned!
— Cameron
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