“If we don’t chase things, the things following us can catch up.”
–L.M. Montgomery
My two younger dogs love to play chase. Up, down, back and forth they race, dancing around each other in a complicated ritual. And, for the most part, their game is ritualized, with an unspoken set of rules. For them, the rules are as follows:
Rule #1: Grimm is always the chaser, Zella (holding a high value toy) is always the quarry. This is how she likes to play the game, and as she is the boss, this is how it is played. If Grimm grabs a treasured toy (usually a frisbee) and flaunts it in front of Zella, she totally ignores him. She will usually go on a hunt for her own frisbee in order to start the game.
Zella starts the game by searching for a frisbee.
Grimm gets ready to start the chase.
Rule #2: The chaser (Grimm) is never allowed to tackle the quarry. He tried that tactic once and Zella quickly put a stop to it (she is very good at effectively correcting another dog without actually hurting the other dog in any way). The chaser may nip at heels, tail or flanks, but he better not actually jump on the quarry. Now, if Grimm gets going too fast and it looks like a tackle may happen or appears unavoidable, he actually now will speed up and jump completely over Zella, at which point she will turn around and sprint the other way.
The chase is on!
Grimm nips at her flanks, and Zella puts on speed.
Rule #3: When the chaser finally catches his quarry, the quarry must play tug with the valuable object before the chase can restart (this is Grimm’s rule, and since Zella set the other rules, it is only fair that he has one, too). This usually lasts for about three to five minutes, then Zella gives him the frisbee. He carries it around for a little while, then gets bored and drops it. He saunters over to some greenery in the yard and starts his impression of a goat. All the while he is munching his greens, he is eyeing the frisbee and pretending not to see Zella sneak around to snatch it up again. As soon as she has it in her possession, the game renews.
Time to play tug.
Grimm watches to see if Zella is going to restart the game. He dropped the frisbee in the middle of the sunflowers.
Zella gets the frisbee to begin the game all over again.
Watching my dogs play their ritualized game reminded me that all of us play our part in our own ritualized games each day. At times we are the quarry, at other times the chaser. I also realized when watching their play that the quarry can have just as much power as the chaser and the chaser is just as much at the mercy of the quarry. Without one, you cannot have the other. For me, this was again another reminder of the delicate balance we face each day, but probably don’t stop to realize it. I would never have guessed that two pit bull’s play could spark an epiphany. Have I ever mentioned what terrific teachers dogs are?
Grimm's Furry Tail 