Story of the Month – “Dead Dog Rising”

The short story for this month is “Dead Dog Rising” by Kate Hill Cantrill.  It was most recently published in Issue 20 of SmokeLong Quarterly.

First, I’m a sucker for dogs.  While I know they are animals I accept that they have feelings, needs and thoughts like humans.  Sometimes these can be articulated with a behavior, a facial expression or a noise and sometimes there is no hope of effective communication between a person and a dog.  The title is what caught my attention. 

Second, I can identify with different elements of the story.  When you live with a person or animal you get to learn their noise patterns to know where they are and what they might be doing.  Sammy’s nails make a click clack sound on the hardwood floors but louder when his nails are long.  It’s one way of knowing when he needs his nails trimmed; and I can tell by the sound if he’s gone table surfing in the dining room.  Like the father in the story, I do not function well when I’ve not had enough sleep.  I become irritable and act irrational at any unexpected sound.  Uninterrupted sleep is the only cure.

Using the five senses is one way to make writing come alive.  I think sight and touch are the two senses most used in stories.  “Dead Dog Rising” has a lot of sound words to make it unique. 

If you’ve read this far and haven’t read “Dead Dog Rising” yet then go do it.  The ending seems very natural and I found it to be a wonderful summary of the relationship between the dog and the father.