subject: Its Not The Dog, Its The Owner [print this page] Its Not The Dog, Its The Owner Its Not The Dog, Its The Owner
If we still lived in a primitive society in which communication was by means of grunts, groans, facial expressions and most particularly actions, we'd find it quite surprising if our group leader suddenly started giving us our food first, allowing us to lead the way and generally not laying down the law at all.
Worse still, we'd be confused!
Indeed, we might even start to think that if we were allowed to be dominant in one respect we could lie anywhere we liked, could chew the slipper or have a pee in the corner of the kitchen we could dominate in other respects as well. We might start dragging the group leader along at the end of a leash or start barking endlessly if we were left alone or demanding titbits at human meal times.
Trouble is that we group-leader humans forget how our means of communication have improved over the millennia. Without any action or intonation at all we could calmly explain that it really pisses us off when you growl at strangers or think that you can go and chase the next door neighbours' cat whenever you feel like it, and expect that appropriate restraint will be exercised in the future. So advanced are we that we might even choose to overlook the occasional lapse in appropriate behaviour and expect that that gesture on our part might actually be appreciated by the growler or chaser.
If you think about it logically, this is quite absurd of us to think like this. Our ever-loving canines haven't developed quite as far as we have. This might explain their ever-loving nature: we have developed sufficiently to know that we are not worthy of being loved unconditionally, but they haven't yet and thus continue to support us. Alas, when it comes to training we are a very confusing bunch and send out contradictory messages all the time. Sometimes it's this and sometimes that. Sometimes it's terrible if you do this and sometimes it's ok.
It's not the dog that's the problem, it's the owner!
Absolute, unfailing consistency is what is required; always pointing out misdemeanours and praising correct behaviour.
It's actually not as we may think a deep embarrassment for the dog to be chastised over and over again, it's a comfort. It confirms what they thought.
We dogs know exactly where we are and we don't have to bother about getting ideas above our station.
Well, at least that's finally sorted then.
Better not bark at Rufus from up the road, Leader doesn't like that now, it was ok to sit over here wasn't it? Yes, I remember, it's all right.
Let's catch up on a few Zs and chase a few rabbits huuuuuurrrhh
