Gunny here. I’ve been listening. I walk with the other dog friends in our herd, and our mom, almost daily.

I’ve noticed some changes over the last several months. Ever since people started staying home and wearing muzzles on their faces.

Before the muzzles, when we’d walk, people were really friendly. Let’s be real – at 6 in the morning the sun is only just coming up – what else do you people do when you walk by some lady and a bunch of dogs? People used to say “good morning.”

Then everyone stayed home. I have to admit that few cars on the road made our morning walks nice and quiet. But that wasn’t reality.

The people are back but is not the same. Some of them are wearing those “made for humans muzzles.” But I don’t see a correlation to the muzzles. I just see a correlation to the times.

What am I talking about?

People have stopped saying “hi” to each other!

As a dog, I don’t get it! When we dogs greet. We sniff. We check out each other‘s rear ends. Full inspection of the parts. Then we go on with our business. It doesn’t matter if I wear a muzzle yesterday, today, or tomorrow. I’m going to sniff. It’s how we dogs say “hello.” Canine courtesy you might say.

Only when we don’t feel good is when we don’t say “hi.” But then we stay home. I heard that’s what humans were supposed to be doing now: staying home when they don’t feel good. That’s practical.

But why did they stop the dog equivalent of sniffing – saying hello?

If you think you’re going to get cooties, don’t go to the dog park; but if you go to the dog park and snarl at everyone who’s there, you’re not being very human. Maybe you should stay home until you feel better.