Dogs barking at cartoon dogs

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I know of two dogs that bark when they see other dogs on the TV.

But both of them bark at cartoon dogs as well (dog#1 goes particularly nuts when Scooby Doo comes on screen).

What’s that all about? Most cartoon dogs don’t really resemble dogs that much. Also, according to dog#1’s owner, it doesn’t bark at cartoon cats.

Also, I have a CD rack that looks like this:
http://www.javaprimitive.com/image/cr13a.jpg and dog#2 went ballistic at it, trying to bite the head off the mannequin, which to me doesn’t much look like a human, either.

Is there some kind of universal-unconscious dog avatar that cartoonists have hit on?

2

I dunno but you need to get more CDs;)

3

Two related “pet reacting to inanimate, pet-like objects” stories both involving my cat, Mike the Cat (officially Mike, but so many people call him Mike the Cat that it sticks):

  1. When we first got Mike, he was 4 1/2 (long story). I sent a photo to my mom, a true cat lover. And thoughtful-but-tacky gift giver: she proceeded to get the photo enlarged and transferred onto a T-shirt and give it to my wife. Who promptly put it in the bottom drawer. 6 months later: we are going through the bottom drawer and come across the t-shirt. Mike the Cat is around; just to be cute, I hold the t-shirt by the shoulders at his level and slowly show it to him. He freaked! Got all puffy-tailed and defensive. It was hilarious - Mr. Big Hunter, cat sense of smell and all that, and he freaked over a picture of himself on a t-shirt!! I thought that was his most undignified moment…

  2. …until we got the Metal Cat. A friend gave us a house-warming gift (literally) of a metal cat - basically a hollow, about-life-size, dark gray cat, with washers welded on for eyes, wires for whiskers, and holes cut in the body, both to indicate fur and so you can plant a candle in its tummy and the light shows through. I unwrapped it and put it in our bedroom on the floor by the trashcan. The next morning, Mike the Cat comes in to demand to be fed and let out, makes it a few kitty steps into the room, spots Metal Cat, and freaks!! Too damn funny! We had to put Metal Cat up on top of the armoire so poor Mike wouldn’t lose it…

He is the best little kitty in the whole wide world, but on those two occasions, did not represent his species to the fullest…

4

Our dog goes nuts and barks at the claymation dog on “Bob the Builder” but only when it barks.