The subject of dogs and what it is they feel will forever be a topic of interest to us dog advocates. I don’t think I would treat them any differently if I were to find out they had no “feelings” in the sense that we humans do.
A feeling can be like the weather in Seattle. If you don’t like it, wait an hour and it will be different! This is certainly true if our feelings are based on emotion alone. Living with humans, dogs are exposed to our fickle behaviors and moods whether or not they understand or join us in them.
I know when I have asked a client to confine (crate or kennel or keep a leash on their dog) they wonder if it will hurt their dog’s feelings. On behalf of all the dogs I love, NO! We don’t worry about hurting an infant’s feelings if we don’t let them run free and out of our sight before they are trustworthy.
I do believe dogs have feelings, and the rest is my life study. For instance, I came home from a training session to find that my dogs were frantically going through the phone book looking for a florist so they could send me flowers for my upcoming birthday. You can see their disappointment in my walking in on the surprise. I’d say they have feelings…
The death panel for humans never existed. The death panel for dogs has always existed. I wish more people shared that level of shock and horror for the euthanasia of dogs. Most of the dogs aren’t old, sick, or even given a chance. The only up side is they are spared a possible life of abuse. (Not much of an up)
Maybe you aren’t an “animal person.” This isn’t about animals. It’s about what we humans tolerate, create and allow. Awareness is for everyone. Once you are aware, it’s up to you to assist in educating and (nicely) informing others. I don’t have children, but I do everything I can to support and promote the welfare of children.
This video is tough to watch, and you may think you don’t need to see it to get it. Watch it. I think if more people had to assist in this process for the dogs they surrender or dispose of, they might think of things differently. A girl can dream…
If this doesn’t work for you, get a copy of my ebook “The Truth About Housebreaking.” Maybe if your dog sees you reading the book, he will be more than willing to take this vow.
I hear people refer to a dog’s behavior as an “accident.” Dogs don’t have accidents. Certainly not in the way humans do.
As I walked to my car today and noticed yet another they-had-to-know-they-did-this door ding, I said my characteristic “dog gone it!” Whatever that means. Having just said the word dog, I couldn’t help but think about how different we humans are from animals.
Dogs, like other animals, live in the moment. They may be territorial, possessive, aggressive, and any or all of the characteristics that could make them excellent door-dingers; however, it’s not something they would do. If a dog wants you to know they are feeling threatened, irritated, or any number of expressions, it will be in your presence and applicable to that moment. They aren’t capable of being passive-aggressive.
Living in the moment may not be so great all of the time; however, it would help to lessen those “accidents” we humans may participate in on a daily basis; i.e., forgetting where we put something, hitting someone’s car because we weren’t paying attention, over-reacting to a situation because of something that happened earlier in the day, etc.
I am coining a new phrase – “WWMDD?” That’s – “What Would My Dog Do?” I don’t know that it will help me find the keys I can’t find because I was thinking of something else when I set them down; but, if asked often enough, it may help to keep me in the moment and maybe a little less serious.
Accidents do happen (as they say); however maybe if we asked ourselves WWMDD, they would happen a little less often.
If your dog has mentioned you need behavioral modification or you experience mis-placed aggression, send me an email. I’m happy to help. I’m better at understanding dogs, but I do fairly well with humans.
It only takes seconds to train a dog. Really. Because your dog is constantly observing and responding to you, you are always training them. What you are training them is the question. If you provide little to no structure and are inconsistent with what you expect of them, you will receive little to no respect and inconsistent behavior from them.
Some clients admit to having in the past had dogs they never had to train. The difference was in the dog. Some dogs want to please us more than others, and it appears they need no training. They do; however, they are just plain easy! Unfortunately (or fortunately), not all dogs are created equal. We make the mistake of labeling a dog that was easy “good” and a difficult dog as “bad.” They are both good dogs – let’s just say one is more challenging than the other.
So, how long does it take to train your dog? It could be a lifetime. Sure, with consistent expectations from you, you will get into a good flow of life where there is peace in the kingdom. However, and that is a big HOWEVER, they will always and forever be a dog going through cycles of development and may need you to “remind” them of what they know. I am here to remind you. =)
How important is the height of a dog’s bowl? I have read a lot of information regarding barrel-chested dogs (Great Danes, Boxers, Standard Poodles, etc) and how they should be fed from an elevated bowl. The school of thought is this would help to prevent bloat. Having known of several dogs who died from bloat even with the use of an elevated feeding bowl, I am not so certain it is necessary.
It may look more comfortable for the dog to not bend over; however, if they were eating in a more natural setting; i.e., a rat, rabbit, squirrel, they would not carry it around in order to find something to put it on so they could be more comfortable as they ate.
I have tried elevated and the eat-like-the-rest-of-the dogs bowl on the floor and Mac (who is very tall and barrel chested) prefers to get very comfortable. Since a contributor to bloat is caused from inhaling too much air as a dog eats quickly, I think Mac may be on to something. There’s no chance of that with him…
In the words of another great dog behaviorist…most trainers train humans and rehabilitate dogs. I work with a lot of dogs who are, fortunately for them, not so much in need of rehabilitation given their age and history as they are in need of consistency. And, in much dismay to their humans, they are excellent at being puppies.
In my training of humans, I try to keep things light and also get the point across. For instance, as I am leash training their dog, the human will get excited when the puppy attempts to chew the leash as they repeat, “see, look what he does, look what he does!” If, when I provide instruction, they don’t want to hear what I’m saying, I’ll ask what they have been doing when Pookie chews the leash. After they respond, I hear myself asking, “how’s that workin’ for ya’?”
Another example is in the guidance I provide for house training a puppy. It almost always involves my suggesting crate training and complete supervision when the puppy isn’t in the crate. By now, they are exhausted from cleaning up poop and pee and not sleeping because of a destructive pup in the house. They will assure me it would never work and every reason why. I wait and listen because I do understand their frustration. Then, if they continue to negate my suggestion, I may hear myself ask, “do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?”
So, you see, this really is about human behavior modification as much as it is canine behavior modification. As I always say, dogs are great at being dogs. While it may not be the same in every case, behaviorists have learned what works. I’m sure there are a lot of other Dr. Phil-isms I could and do use. If what you are doing, isn’t working or in the way you had hoped, please contact me!
I took Melody to the vet (he is wonderful!) and I told him how she is better but because of her past, still pulls away from being touched. She had a heart murmur and was being checked for that condition. As he was palpating (touching) her, she flinched and made a purr-type sound. He said, she is ticklish. I love that!
I have to admit, I had never heard anyone put it that way. She is ticklish! As a dog used for breeding in a puppy mill, she most likely didn’t receive any affection as a puppy or as an adult for that matter. She has grown to love being touched and being held. AND, she is ticklish!
If there is a medical term for this, I prefer to let it go with calling her ticklish. Her nervous motion along with the sweet “giggle” she makes, brings a smile to everyone around her.
