Just as a dog buries bones in the backyard, or hides tennis balls under the living room couch, my dog Buffy left behind a previously hidden computer file that contains a journal of her observations and musings going back to when she was very young. Unknown to all of us, Buffy's special perspective began its development when she was still just a pup. Her journal demonstrates the evolving psyche of a not so Standard Poodle, as she attempts to reconcile her canine nature with the stirrings of human intelligence within. 
Journal Entry June 2008

Now that I'm a little older, I'm able to have a better perspective on my formative years; those years of growth and change; constant, constant change. Both body and mind had to assimilate and recreate, my notion of myself was fluid, floating, sometimes flailing.  Often I felt as if I was alien, alone, separate from the crowd. Perhaps a visitor from another planet. I didn't feel as if I fit in with the majority of the pack.  Dogs experience this intense hormonal period in years one to three. It was during this time that I began to turn on the television when the master was gone, to paw through his books, listen in on the family conversations. 

All of this new human type knowledge was enlightening, fascinating, I felt I had to tell the other dogs about it.  I was on the scent of truth, surely they would want to share in my revelations.  Strangely, they were more interested in chasing balls and rabbits, brawling, barking and biting.  This made me feel more "different" than usual, more human than dog at times, and I became even more enamored with my human family.  When they were unavailable, I sought company with other "alien" types that I encountered in the realm of my own and other's imaginations.  I'm thankful to these fellow interstellar, intraimaginary travellers for their contributions to my growth, and for the company they provided along the way. They and I travel to the beat of a different drum.  It's okay that way I've found; but it takes age and earned wisdom to know that things will turn out alright.

During adolescence, the brain is bathed in new chemicals, hormones which alter perception. It's difficult to find solid ground beneath you. If you find you need advice on your own alienation, your own search for yourself, I recommend bonding with your family as I did.  It's great when they scratch you behind the ears.  They offer love and acceptance; two entities that can solve a lot of a dog's, or a human's problems.  If they're unavailable, there are others who have felt out of place at one time or another in their lives.  They might be able to help too, as they reveal how they dealt with being in their own State of Alien Nation.