I took Barkly, our golden retriever, for a short walk tonight. Along the way we encountered another dog, chained in its yard. This dog has always been a pretty vocal.
Here's what caught my attention. Barkly attempted to ignore the loud dog. Although she would sneak glances, she quickly picked up her pace and made it seem as if the other dog didn't exist.
What stuck me as odd is that humans too exhibit this exact behavior. When someone is making a scene or is loud and out of place, we attempt to ignore them.
Do we:
- Expect that the distraction will go away once it is avoided
- Not want to attract the offenders attention to ourself
- Think that by avoiding eye contact, we will minimize our interaction
Just ponderings of the day... I was surprised to see the same reaction in dogs as I did myself. Not that there are any pesky panhandlers in Rochester.
10:21:21 PM 
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