subject: Understanding Dog Behavior - How Raising a Dog Can Make You a Better Person [print this page] Author: Author: . Hussey" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/james-m.-hussey/260803.htm">James M. Hussey
Understanding Dog Behavior - How Raising a Dog Can Make You a Better Person Yes, that's right. Understanding dog behavior and dog training can actually make you a better "you," quicker than it makes your dog a better dog. How so? Well, I wouldn't have thought it possible, but my little Chihuahua, Toby--a rescued Chihuahua from another local family--has taught me as much about myself as he's learned from me. That actually doesn't make me a great dog trainer, but I'm thankful for it nonetheless. See, Toby wasn't exactly "at home" with his former family, and because this is a public forum I won't go much into details (we don't know exactly what went on, to tell the truth), but suffice it to say, he's a small dog with a small dog complex. He deplores men...which makes my dog training pretty minimal, to say the least...but he loves my daughters. He's also rather fond of my wife, which makes him a cool dog in my book. He's scared of booming voices. Guess what I had to stop doing once we brought him home? I had to stop hollering so much. Mind you, we have a house full of kids (half dozen at the time of this writing), and yelling is a form of communication to get above the noise. I also don't own an intercom yet, so hollering, "Dinner's ready!" is a pretty common occurrence. Nonetheless, I can't raise my voice at Toby. Neither can anyone else, or else he scatters with his tail between his legs. It's actually heart-breaking to see how terrified he can get, so we've really chilled out a bit. As Martha Stewart would say, "That's a good thing!" Another fault of ours that Toby has brought out is how we tend to neglect the little fella. He relieves himself--not often, mind you--sometimes in the house. I've had to tell the kids not to yell at him or punish him for that, he's just not very good at English yet, so when he needs to go, he tells us in his doggy way. Usually it's by barking, looking at you, then at the door. His huge eyes are saying, "What are you, deaf? I said, 'I need to GO.'" Because we've rescued Toby, we've tried to get him out of his shell a bit, and we're doing it pretty well. Mind you, he's not a perfect dog, but he's a part of the family now, and loves us. He's not as afraid of me, I've given him no reason to be. I speak to him in kind, soft tones--always a benefit to my attitude, I can't afford to backslide with the dog--and he repays me by not running away as much. Before year's end, I'll have won his little heart and trust, which is another great reason to own a dog. He's revealed our impatience, our laziness, our short-tempered tongues, our tendency to misplace blame...it's a good thing, really! It's amazing to me, how this little pup can refuse to speak our language (oh, I know dogs can talk, but they don't know I know), and yet teach us so much about how we need to grow. Without being overly sentimental, can I suggest we all join hands and sing, You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings? Would that be too much? Before you finish reading this, I do want to ask you to consider adopting an animal from your local shelter, there are plenty of needy animals out there that are waiting to brighten someone's day. Rescuing a pet is a great way to grow as a person, and one of the most rewarding activities you can do.About the Author:
James Hussey works in a successful family business by day, and moonlights three different ways: he web-publishes on his pet blogs, freelance writes on Elance as "JamestheJust," and does his own article marketing campaigns. His blogs now include Dog Pet Stores, where you'll find all of your dog's products such as training collars for dogs, or answers to dog behavior questions, where you can find info and resources for all your dog's needs.
