I don’t think I fully realised what 40000 years of evolution as commensal species have done to wolves and sapient apes.
Is a dog sentient, not by lupine nature but by conditioning, living with people who call things and actions and themselves by names? Does this shape their awareness? Is our talk a word-cage which constrains them?
These were drawn with a charcoal pencil stick, which snapped into two stubs when he pulled hard on the lead as I tried to sketch him outside. These are small, in a pocket book of cartridge paper. Its hard to capture simplicity of shape and neglect the fur.
I think he sees us use our hands and he wants to imitate, but only has his mouth to manipulate things. That’s why he bites my laces as I tie my shoes. He read my son’s favourite book with his teeth, but despite shredding several pages did not get the plot.
kestrelart 