The chairman of the board wants a dog. I am stalling on this one. It is true that a dog would be a nice companion for her while I am working in South Asia, but all I can think of is the downside. That is the angle that I am working on. I casually pass on the horror stories like the one about a dog named Jeep that we had when I was growing up. He once felt confined, so he tore through a wall to get into the next room.
We had some pretty cool pets when we were in the Congo. Buying live animals from the local hunters was not a good idea, but the 3rd time the local seller brought a baby otter by our house, it was in bad shape. After he recovered, Ollie was the coolest pet romping along with Hap & Josie like a dog. I used to net fish for him. We didn’t know that otter mothers teach their babies to go under water. When we took this one on a swim trip to the sandbar we thought he could swim. It got water in its lungs and died.
Meercats are very photogenic and the stars of a TV show. In the Congo Basin Rain forest there are mongoose species like them that run in packs and have a well developed social life. We had a couple that were the best possible pets. They fended for themselves outside. You could imitate their trilling call and they would come to you when you wanted to interact with them. Unfortunately, like all our pets in Congo, they met a tragic end. Life is tough there for man and beast.
I decided that the best pet is one that takes care of itself outside, comes to you when you want it to, and leaves when “pet fun time” is over. In Congo we had a porcupine that we fed outside, but it ran away. I didn’t lose any sleep over it. If he was too stupid to see what a sweet gig he had, that was his problem.
We found the ideal virtual pet when Rich and Jenny let us stay in their guest house. Their dachshund named Cheda had to be around people. When Rich and Jenny went out, Cheda would come and stay with us. She had a sixth sense about when they might return and would leave us at that moment. I might spend the rest of my life trying to reproduce that way of having a dog that came with zero responsibilities. Our biggest problem is the challenge of taking care of a pet when we travel internationally.
Two months ago when I was surfing the internet in South Asia, I may have found the answer. The Sony Aibo is billed as “A pet that behaves like a puppy using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn and interact with its owner and surroundings.” The first version had some drawbacks, but the latest version is better and a steal for only $1,750. You can imagine the joy in the heart of the chairman of the board when I showed her the picture of this cuddly creature.
Adventures in Suburbia 