I live a life governed by invisible, yet inescapable rules. They can be outlined and analyzed according to the traditional law school IRRAC format. I provide and example below.
I (issue): Children at the playground.
R (rule): If children are at the playground and I can a. see them, or b. hear them, or c. smell them. I must complain about them. Loudly. And I am a dog, which means that I am in charge of alerting the household to certain developments that I sense.
R (rationale): The household must be alerted to the clear and present proximity of the children to the house.
A (analysis): The children are across the street at the playground. Therefore, they are close to our house. It is my duty as a dog to warn the household of this proximity. So, I can complain about them in such a way that I also alert the household to their existence and closeness.
C (conclusion): Children are loud, smell funny, and move around a lot. It is necessary for me to tell everybody when I hear, see, or smell children on the playground.
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1 comment:
Poppy,
Long-time listener, first-time caller.
I appreciate this analysis, which explains the behavior barking at children at the playground. But I have noticed a canine behavior that confuses me. Frequently, when faced with a situation requiring barking (such as children at the playground, or an approaching postal worker, or a squirrel), you and your bitch/mutt friends will bark. This is explained by the post above. But quite often, the barking will continue long after the children, postal worker, squirrel, or other barking stimulus has left. This can continue for up to 20 minutes--perhaps longer.
What is the IRRAC analysis for barking not at the children, but the baffling behavior I shall call Barking At The Place Where Something Recently Was But Is No Longer?
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