Two weeks ago, Heather and I watched Lady and the Tramp as
we drove to the hospital and back. At the end of the film Jock (a Scottish
terrier) and Trusty (a bloodhound) chase the dogcatcher’s wagon through a
thunderstorm. The horses are spooked and the wagon overturns, injuring Trusty. Jock
finds his wounded friend and howls. I’ve seen the movie dozens, maybe hundreds
of times. But this time I thought, “That’s dumb. Scotties don’t howl.” A day or
two later, I heard an odd, melodic sound in the back garden. I opened the door
and caught Lassie howling. There was an emergency vehicle passing by two blocks
away, and she was singing along with the siren. I’ve since been told Lassie
sometimes howls when she thinks she’s home alone. I looked it up. According to
Google, some Scotties may howl when they’re excited, when they hear a high-pitched
sound, or to express separation anxiety.
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