How do you do?
By p1kef1sh
@p1kef1sh (45681)
August 5, 2015 9:13am CST
I don't know about you but my normal way of introducing myself to a stranger is to proffer my hand, tell them my name and enquire after their's. However, whilst walking the dog earlier it dawned on me that we are a queer lot us humans. Now Paddy, our little dog, she's she by the way, has an altogether different way of introducing herself. She usually spots her new friend from several yards away, pauses, wits until her prey is in her sights and then rushes off at about a zillion MPH. As she closes on her would be friend she proffers a few welcoming barks; to the uninitiated these can sound alarming and quite unfriendly, although the opposite is the truth. Assuming that the other dog responds well to her sudden arrival in their quiet corner of the World, she, or they, then proceed to sniff each other's bottoms. Now to be brutally honest, this doesn't work for me. I have considered the benefits of the olfactory approach, but to be honest I suspect that my face wouldn't withstand the likely assault upon it from me new acquaintance. Funny folk dogs.
8 people like this
11 responses
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
5 Aug 15
hahahah..Doggie's do have a way of greeting one another and i can just imagine us humans doing that..We walk up smell the behind.smile or retch and either advance to next person or grumble on down the road..now i'm thinking like a cave woman..hahah
3 people like this
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
5 Aug 15
Hey there Rosey! Nice to see you!
1 person likes this
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
5 Aug 15
@sparkofinsanity oh how i missed you..hun..so glad to see you here!!
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
5 Aug 15
How do you do? too. I would proffer you a wing but your fins are not very mobile, so it might not work. We might exchange sniffs but I fear that my soft, dusty smell might be anathema to you and your fishy, rivery smell would be equally strange to me. Perhaps the appropriate way for an owl to greet a pike would be by a mutual snapping of beak and teeth, just to show that we aren't going to eat each other.
1 person likes this
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
5 Aug 15
How do you! Please shake my hand........it might remind me who I am! lol Good to see you here Mr. Fish. I just dropped in from a link sent by a friend, and am checking things out.
2 people like this
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
5 Aug 15
@p1kef1sh WE GET PAID FOR THIS???? lol
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
5 Aug 15
@sparkofinsanity Apparently so. Ask me when I hit the $10 point. That's about a month or two ahead!
2 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
5 Aug 15
Somehow, these are limitations when we live in a society. Forgive me, but I think different. Most of the animals are more free and expressive just because they dont have rules laid down by the society thing. Imagine this - in case we tried running to greet someone (known or unknown), or express in anything other than what is not considered normal, at our age we would be considered as ones with psychological issues (and maybe more than that).
Personally , somehow, being in a society, we all are expected to behave in formats laid down by some (or more). And I feel, this definitely kills our being ourselves, being expressive somewhere for sure.
Here in India, traditionally, we would greet by folding our hands in front of our chest and saying Namaste (which is Greetings in English). But today, this is taking backseat and we are more happy with Handshakes. Traditionally, there are still some people around who would touch the feet of their elders as a mark of respect to them.
2 people like this
@Treesaver4future (28)
• Portland, Oregon
5 Aug 15
Yes, it seems as long as we do what is socially acceptable, we are sane. If not, we are oddballs or crazy. I never knew about this tradition of touching the feet of elders as a sign of respect. I find different cultural traditions so very interesting! Thanks for posting. I'm not sure how it would go over with my friends if I started sniffing their bottoms...I think a hug is a good way to start. ;)
@pumpkinjam (8770)
• United Kingdom
6 Aug 15
I don't think I would like to introduce myself as dogs do. I would probably fart on them and kill them anyway :P
You've got me thinking now though. I don't know how I introduce myself to strangers. Well, they're usually friends of friends so if it's informal, I just say 'hi' and wave, or take their lead if they want to shake hands or something. If it's formal, I usually offer a handshake.
@ElicBxn (63638)
• United States
6 Aug 15
My dogs aren't that friendly with strange dogs. Cujo isn't that friendly with other dogs period. Boe wants to play and Zoe will stand in the middle of the yard and bark at him while he runs around like a crazy dog and tries to snap at her ears or tail. If he's bored inside, he chases his tail, you can hear his teeth snap shut... he's lucky he hasn't caught it yet. Cats will sniff other cats they know's butts, but generally speaking, they won't with a strange cat - go figure...
@grecychunny26 (9483)
• Philippines
5 Aug 15
Hahaha, my dogs do the same thing with new people and new dogs. They are funny. Whenever there are people, at the window, they will bark. They will tells us that there is someone at the window asking for us. They will never stop barking until they got their attention. When we did, they will still bark because they want to show their authority to the person looking at us. It seems it is telling them that they are our dogs and anything that will happen bad on us, they will be killed.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
5 Aug 15
I have to say I have never felt the desire to sniff a bottom - human or canine. However, I think a nice compromise is the Spanish way of greeting - 'dos besos.' Two kisses, one on each side of the face, accompanied by a hug. Very civilised, very tactile, and not at all smelly.
