NICONET COLLECTION

Inter-Canine Relations

Friends, fellow travellers, shared naps and the ordinary diplomacy of being a dog around other dogs.

All collections Meet Nico

ARCHIVE OPEN

The Nico Archive · Departmental records

Stories recovered from the permanent collection

The Summit Delegation — A summit, in the most literal sense available.Plate 01

External RelationsRecord NCA-ICR-001

Record NCA-ICR-001

The Summit Delegation

Calling this a summit is unusually defensible because both dogs are standing on top of a mountain. Below them is the city; behind them is the water; in front of them is presumably whatever snack was being used to obtain cooperation.

Nico appears delighted with the arrangement. His colleague appears equally willing to participate.

The communiqué, if any, was not preserved.

VENUESummit

DELEGATESTwo

MOODExcellent

COMMUNIQUÉMissing

“Diplomacy improves considerably when everybody gets a walk first.”— The Nico Archive

The Kitchen Summit — Two dogs. One kitchen. Suspicious restraint.Plate 02

Domestic DiplomacyRecord NCA-ICR-002

Record NCA-ICR-002

The Kitchen Summit

The kitchen is neutral ground only in theory. In practice it is a room in which dogs monitor the humans for procedural weakness and the possibility that something edible may fall.

Here both delegates are seated, attentive and remarkably composed. No begging is visible. No food has changed hands.

The restraint shown should probably be studied.

VENUEKitchen

DELEGATESTwo

SNACKSNot visible

DISCIPLINEUnexpected

“The absence of begging should not be mistaken for the absence of interest.”— The Nico Archive

The Couch Treaty — Shared furniture under multiple administrations.Plate 03

Domestic DiplomacyRecord NCA-ICR-003

Record NCA-ICR-003

The Couch Treaty

The strongest treaties are not signed. They are negotiated by slowly deciding that the other dog can remain on the couch without anybody needing to make a thing of it.

Across several households and several friends, the pattern repeats: sit together, lie down, absorb whatever sun is available, continue the day.

This is what most successful diplomacy looks like.

VENUECouch / living room

TENSIONLow

TERRITORYShared

OUTCOMENap-capable

“Peace is often just two dogs deciding the couch is big enough.”— The Nico Archive

The Beach Delegation — Joint coastal appearance.Plate 04

Coastal RelationsRecord NCA-ICR-004

Record NCA-ICR-004

The Beach Delegation

A beach changes the tone of bilateral relations. There is more room, more smell, more wind and enough background scenery to make two ordinary dogs look like an expedition party.

Nico and his companion stand together with the Pacific behind them, both apparently pleased with the assignment.

No territorial dispute is visible in the frame.

VENUEBeach

DELEGATESTwo

WEATHERCooperative

DISPUTENone visible

“Some meetings are improved by having an ocean behind them.”— The Nico Archive

Joint Lake Manoeuvres — Friendship complicates the water doctrine.Plate 05

HydrologyRecord NCA-ICR-005

Record NCA-ICR-005

Joint Lake Manoeuvres

If Nico hates water, another dog apparently makes the situation negotiable. The lake photograph captures both participants moving through the shallows with considerably more enthusiasm than Archive doctrine would prefer.

It is difficult to maintain a rigid policy position while visibly splashing.

The case remains open.

WATERPresent

FRIENDPresent

SPLASHINGDocumented

DOCTRINEUnder pressure

“A good friend can make even bad policy temporarily flexible.”— The Nico Archive

The Trail Delegation — An actual trail delegation. The deck photograph has been returned to the correct jurisdiction.Plate 06

Field RelationsRecord NCA-ICR-006

Record NCA-ICR-006

The Trail Delegation

Some friendships are best documented while moving. The trail files contain fewer formal poses and more evidence of dogs simply proceeding in the same direction together.

There is no summit table, no official chair and no reason to manufacture one. They went for a walk.

That is enough for the record.

VENUEForest trail

PACEShared

PROTOCOLWalk

OUTCOMESuccessful

“Not every relationship needs minutes. Some just need a path.”— The Nico Archive

“Most diplomacy begins with deciding to share the couch.”

The Nico Archive

All collections Return home