Dog Works: The Meaning and Magic of Canine Coinstructions

by Vicki Mathison

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Vicki Mathison presents a serious examination of canine aesthetics. She gathered 22 richly illustrated examples of dogs who repeatedly display behaviors that appear to be creative or and may be attempts to convey messages. A trio of Golden Retrievers build pyramids of sticks; an Irish Wolfhound builds constructions of bones (not bones he chews on); a Jack Russell Terrier digs spiral designs in sand; a Cairn Terrier piles small rocks on large boulders; a Hungarian Vizsla creates series of evenly spaced piles of autumn leaves ; a Poodle-Spaniel mix places bones upright along ridges in ways that suggest aesthetic appreciation; a Border Collie build pyramids out of raincoats (only in the evening, after a rainfall); and more.

A canine cultural heritage researcher, Dr. Raymond Blake, presents historical notes on the characteristics of the particular breeds involved in the various constructions, suggesting ways in which these traits or genetically imprinted memories might come into expression in the artistic creations presented by these dogs.

An animal spiritualist and telepathic diviner, Penelope Winter, suggests various explanations.

For example, Abbie, a Shetland sheepdog, collects pine cones and stones into clusters that look like nests.

Dr. Raymond Blake:

"Initially I was perplexed by the connection between a herding dog such as the Shetland Sheepdog and her interests in nests and egg shaped objects. But after research into the distant background of the bred, I found that the ancestors of the Shetland Sheepdog weree from Scandinavia: known as Lundchunds, Peerie, or Fairy Dogs, they were carried aboard Icelandic fishing boats to both the Orkney and Shetland Islands centuries ago. Fish, food, and eggs were the staple diet of both humans and dogs. Even more significant was the ancient trade in birds eggs and feathers, the latter used to stuff the featherbeds of the wealthy. The instincts and specially adapted conformation of local dogs would have been ideal for seeking out seabird nests and their eggs and feathers. The feather trade spread from Nordic lands all over Euirope, and there were annual peaceful Norse expeditions to the Scottish and Welsh coast in search of the puffin bird and eider duck. So my conclusion is that, unquestionably, this dog is reestablishing contact with her origins and acting out an inherited memory and behavior from centuries ago.

Penelope Winter:

I don't see Abbie's work as representing nests at all. I think she collects objects and arranges them in clusters.

Abbie is an ultra-self-contained personality. Scrupulously tidy, she is very attentive to minute detail. She lives with a Golden Retriever whose rather clumsy, untidy approach to life agitates her desire for order. Abbie's almost obsessive clustering of objects became much more developed after the retriever puppy joined the family. At first, her need to build groups of objects only arose in his presence. Now, however, she is galvanized into action whenever she is confronted with a collection of scattered objects. Her owner says that if Abbie were human she would be a fanatical housekeeper who would nag other members of the family into being the same.

Again, as with the previous book on feline paintings, we have animal behaviors that reflect artistic creativity . Such spontaneous behaviors suggest behavioral conditioning or possible intuitive awarenesses that transcend ordinary reality as we usually conceptualize it. Hypotheses are put forward to explain these observations, including psychological conditioning, telepathic communications with their owners, spirit guidance or possession, archetypal memories, and drawing on a collective consciousness.

Fascinating reading, engagingly presented.

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