The Allure of Novelty

In one of our local parks there is a water fountain that includes a doggie bowl. Yes, I had never seen one of these before either, but we live in a very pet-friendly neighborhood.

Likewise Pettigrew was ignorant of the fountain’s use and showed no curiosity as we walked by it.

Truthfully, I wasn’t in a rush to introduce him to the wonders of this technology. I might have felt differently if he had ever shown signs of being thirsty on our walks, or rushed to take a drink as soon as we walked in the door. But as it was, it just seemed like an attractive nuisance, like once your kids know what a vending machine is, it’s hard to walk past one without them suddenly feeling hungry and needing a snack. Right.

Then we invited a friend on our walk. It was a hot day. Her dog knew all about the fountain and made a beeline to the water bowl. Not wanting to be left out, Pettigrew followed.

And loved it. He drank and drank. I think he especially enjoyed having the water flowing into the bowl at the same time as he was lapping it.

Now the gig is up. Whenever we walk by, Pettigrew stops and waits expectantly for me to press the button and start the water flowing. He drinks deeply every time.

Is he really thirsty? I doubt it. I think he just loves the novelty of the experience.

Note: We walked by the fountain the other day. It was a cool day. Pettigrew didn’t stop at the fountain. Sometimes I wonder whether he knows what I’m writing in these posts and delights in proving me wrong. His idea of a little joke.