The Legend of "Moo"

The chimera is bound in legend and myth from ancient Greece; the blending together of dissimilar animals. The original version was described as beast with lions head, goats body and serpents tail.

Modern definition is much less gruesome and now user friendly.  The phenomenon is a popular internet topic.  I’ve recently viewed photos of dogs with asymmetrical coat patterns defining two distinguishable breeds.  We know what happened, but we don’t understand the “how”…

Well Mother Nature must have the original blue print; bless her heart!

Today, on the radio, I tuned into the “Ted Hour” on NPR and listened in on a discussion of genomic testing.  Fascinating!  Designer pets and children?  What?? I doubt the masses will question their collective faith enough to actually tamper with imperfection.

We are meant to be imperfect.  It is a subtlety woven into our DNA and mirrored in our environment.

Whose standards are we questioning?

Anyway, I got a little ahead of myself…

I am presently acquainted with a very distant relative of this apparent legend.  She is fifty plus pounds of canine energy wrapped in black and white pattern of short coarse hair.  Her nick name is “The Moo”.  Good choice.  Nothing else would so aptly describe the outer her.  She sports a coat of designer Holstein hereford and we could leave it at that, but closer examination might reference the standards of an American Boxer.

This is a first for me.  The vast majority of my clients’ companions are easily recognizable as either close to breed standard or fall in to the “over the fence” category.

“The Moo” is unaware of her celebrity status.  I shan’t tell her. The pressure would simply be too much.

I hope to be her designated sitter for a long time.  I look forward to keeping company together; eat, play and share a bed in the guest room on occasion.

And…

When we walk and she is somewhere way ahead of me at the strained end of her leash, I’ll smile knowing that I’m sharing my journey with a legend.