It has struck me recently that much of the conversations we have with one another consist of exchanging memes, whereas dogs are the anti-meme. Dogs understand cause and effect, such as how sitting next to me often makes me produce a biscuit, but they don’t believe something simply because it has been repeated to them by multitudes of people.

I could tell Fleegle the sky is blue until I loose my voice and he still wouldn’t believe me. “The sky is the sky,” he’d say. “Your words just get in your way of appreciating it. Doesn’t the sky consist of air and space and isn’t that what surrounds you now near the ground?”

“Yeah.”

“What is up there is the same as what’s near you and near me. I am you and you are me. The sky is also you.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Just more words, Raud. Why don’t you enjoy a popsicle. Become one with it. Maybe the sugar will help you understand. I like strawberry. In fact, I am the strawberry popsicle. Get me one and I’ll show you. I especially enjoy becoming one with the high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that won’t fill you up and can never be satiated. Perfect for us Labrador Retrievers.”

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