Gossip at the Dog Park

Gossip is a major social lubricant. There’s good gossip, where we say nice things about others. Bad gossip, when we don’t. And sometimes just wildly speculative gossip, when we don’t have the facts.

Gossip is as old as our capacity for speech, probably older. It is a basic currency of information (and often misinformation).

I imagine most social animals have some form of gossip. For instance, I believe dogs gossip almost as much as their owners. Don’t believe me? Then join me and Millie at the dog park and judge for yourself. 

Edward Grinnan is Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of GUIDEPOSTS Publications.