Why is the fox heroised in this way, despite being a vicious yellow-eyed predator, while the loyal dog is rendered as some sort of bludger, asleep in the corner?
It’s your dog Clancy, writing from the city. My career as an advocate for the rights of dogs continues apace. I’ve been collecting examples of the unconscious bias against dogs contained in many human expressions. When learning to use a keyboard, for instance, people practise by typing a phrase that uses all the letters of the alphabet: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
Okay, there are a few positive phrases. “Man’s best friend” is accurate, as is “dogged” for the ability to keep at a task longer than can reasonably be expected. I’m a strong supporter of the phrase, “Works like a dog”, as it reflects our indomitable spirit, even when working conditions are difficult.
But consider the prejudice that’s also on offer. A person who dobs on another is “a dog”, as if a real dog has ever informed on someone. And a bad film is “a dog”, whether or not an actual dog is involved. Indeed the phrase, “It’s a dog” was recently used to describe a film called Cats, an invocation of our name in circumstances which seem particularly hurtful.
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