Having Ray move in with us in March 2013, was an education in so many ways. Him being my first dog dictated a significant education in dogs and dog behavior in general and, with Ray having his own personal issues, the anticipated education was significantly expanded! Details have been covered in various Posts and, of course, in his book “Who Said I was up for Adoption?”
What I have not however addressed before have been my revelations, triggered by my frustrations of other people. I think it is common sense to acknowledge that in order to understand dog ownership, one would have to have owned a dog. While I am sure that all dog owners would agree with that, I can well imagine that some non-dog owners would challenge it. (That would have been me not too long ago).
Walking Ray through a park in a town where all dogs are supposed to be leashed, has had its moments of concern. In Ray’s early days, when he was fearful of pretty much anything that moved and handled it with a display of aggression, an approaching off-leash dog was a concern which I freely expressed to the dog’s owner. So many people would not have seen the problem, after all, they’re just dogs. (That would have been me not too long ago).
Walking past a dog that starts frantically barking as Ray passes by is interesting because, whereas my thoughts are in the area of “That poor dog is probably frightened and wants Ray to go away”, other people in the area could just look at the dog making all the noise and make a detrimental comment about its disruptive behavior. (That would have been me not too long ago).
Seeing a dog wearing a muzzle makes me wonder whether the necessity for the muzzle is based on an uncontrolled/unpredictable aggression, or is it to give the dog some personal space. So many other people would just look at the muzzled dog and wonder why it is even out in public! (That would have been me not too long ago).
Understanding the negative aspects of shock collars; understanding the inherent shortcomings of an”invisible fence”; understanding the implications of positive reinforcement training, as distinct from punishment techniques, have all been part of my education. Other people may well think that shocking a dog into not barking makes sense; that an electric fence is a great discreet way of controlling a dog’s wanderings, and that there is a time when physical punishment is quite simply necessary. (That would have been me not too long ago).
Then there are dog selection… and vet bills. So many people simply cannot understand why anybody would go to a shelter and adopt a clearly troubled dog. So many people probably put limited value on shelters and do not understand why “troubled” dogs are even allowed to live, and when it comes to vet bills? I am sure we have all heard of people who are appalled that a dog owner just spent a few thousand dollars on a vet procedure! (That would have been me not too long ago).
Not too long ago, I was not only very naive about dog ownership, but I was not even aware of the radically different perspectives possible between a dog owner and a non-dog owner. Not too long ago, I accepted dogs (reluctantly) as part of the streetscape, and never thought much further than that. Not too long ago, dogs were just “out there” and were often rather annoying.
It is interesting how ones perspective can radically change when put in the position of dog ownership! What I have to do now is to be consciously aware of the infinite number of other circumstances of which I have little or no experience, and be as understanding as possible. It is just too easy to criticize a situation when you have very little, if any, understanding of the details of said situation.
Compassion and understanding are so important for us all to live together, and yet it is so often hidden as a result of preconceived and unfounded opinions. Today we may unfairly criticize a dog and/or its owner. Tomorrow it could be a teenager and/or its parent!
Food for thought.
Seems like both you and Ray received education about the many facets of dogs and dog ownership. 🙂
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My background of 5 cats, 3 rabbits and 1 dig-bite was totally useless when dealing with Ray so yes…. it was a huge education for me (and I suspect for him!). 🙂
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What’s a dig-bite?
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These letters on the keyboard are too close together, I of course meant dug-bite. 🙂
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LOL
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You don’t know what you don’t know. People cannot know the difficulties of a fearful dog until they have had experience with a fearful dog. One of the most difficult aspects of owning a fear aggressive dog (for me) was worrying that people would think, ”She should not have that dog” or ”She cannot control that dog” or ”She is a terrible dog owner” etc.
It started with a few negative comments. When Liezel was barking in the car, ”You need to shut that dog up,” and while out on a walk, ”…before I get my gun and kill that ******* dog.” Those comments manifested into so much anxiety. It makes my heart race thinking back. It took a long time for me to realize that other’s perceptions were not for me to worry about. And in that time, reflecting on all that transpired, I came to realize just how much words can affect another person.
I recently chimed in on a conversation about ”people and their uncontrolled puppies / dogs.” There were a lot of critical comments about what the person(s) should have done and should be doing. I felt compelled to announce, ”Listen. I felt the same way about people and their dogs before Liezel. I was the one to think ’THAT is the wrong dog her HER/HIM.’ I was judgmental and quick to point out what others were doing wrong. But that was before Liezel.” Prior to Liezel, my only dog owner experience was with a perfectly behaved Rottweiler and prior to Liezel I did not understand why everyone’s dog wasn’t as perfectly behaved as mine. [Note: my part in creating a perfectly behaved dog was minor. Having a good genetic temperament is what allowed training to be so easy.]
I also judged people for their choice of training devices. We worked with many trainers - all positive reinforcement, and made no progress. Liezel continued to get more and more fearful and more and more fear aggressive. It wasn’t until we found our current trainer who implements correction did we see any progress. I do not agree with physical punishment; however, when there is no opportunity to reward good behavior, teaching that there are consequences for bad behavior is the only other choice. In other words, there was no safe distance for Liezel to see a stranger and not react so there was no opportunity to praise and reward her for not reacting. We had to give correction when she reacted. When she looked away from the scary thing - in that split second, she was praised and rewarded. For us, it took positive punishment in order to get any behavior that warranted positive reinforcement.
Now here we are, using techniques I at one time thought were unnecessary, even cruel. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Sometimes it does take a dog to teach human life lessons.
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Wow! That is quite the response! I would just like to offer three comments for consideration:
1. “You don’t know what you don’t know” is often used as a way out of a sensitive situation. If you know my background (from earlier Posts), you will know that I knew nothing about dogs..except that one bit me a long time ago! However, I did know that I knew nothing about dogs, and therefore had the option to ask lots of questions. So many people will not ask questions for fear of looking silly, but that is usually an insecurity issue which really should be addressed.
2. The other point is your position that positive reinforcement training does not always work. I have neither the expertise nor the experience to dispute that however, although it may be just semantics, you seem to infer that there is a case for corrective punishment. Our Ray was a difficult dog in so many areas and, after 4 years with us, he is still a work in progress however, when positive reinforcement training did not produce results, it was usually because we were missing his signals. When all else failed, then we removed something that he liked. There has never been a need for corrective punishment per se.
One of our current challenges is his recent habit of politely accepting treats from people, and then demanding more by barking. Given that his desired intention is pretty clear, we are now simply turning him around and taking him away from the situation. We are pretty sure that he will soon catch on that barking does not get him treats. He did learn that a long time ago with us!
3. We have come across a number of professed trainers who disagree with some aspect of positive reinforcement training, just as there are still some “old school” (Ref Cesar Millan) methods being used. Ultimately it is the dog owner who must decide how to train their dog, and my “fall-back” position is simply the question “Would I do this to a 3 year old child?” If the answer is “No”, then perhaps I should not be doing it to a dog.
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Even though I am a cat person and was once guilty of such feelings about dogs that you mention, I now tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the dog. I think this is due to reading your posts and such books as Racing in the Rain, which explain the dogs’ points of view. As I pass a dog (on a leash) who bares his teeth at me, I TRY to think, “Oh look; he’s smiling at me.” LOL
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Hi Rae. “Racing in the Rain” is an excellent book isn’t it! My history includes a number of cats so I quite naturally compare them with Ray. If you have not already seen it, the Post (link below) will perhaps be of interest:
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Dee light ful post. Thanks for making it available to me!
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Not a problem Rae. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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So true. The same can be said for cats. Animals care most about surviving. They don’t create plots in their brains. I’ve never been a fan of punishment. They don’t always get the connection between what they did and what you are doing.
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Hi Kate. Your last sentence says it so well. I am amazed at how many times I have heard a tirade being directed to a dog, who clearly has no clue what is happening!
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What clear observations. How much better everything would be if people only realized their perspective colors their thoughts.
Your post has brought to mind all the orphan dogs ( and a couple of cats) who have lived with us by mutual choice. The “used” dogs in shelters (a 4 yr old girl gave me that terms as she hugged her new “used” dog), those creatures seem to have not arrive at the appropriate home for them with owners that were not a good match – so behavior was confused and often destructive.
Adopting a mostly grow/full grown shelter or rescue dog means there must be a commitment to untangle the animal’s often defensive behavior and reestablish a trust with humans. It’s hard and not for everyone. It’s the same with unruly/”bad” children in the school room – the teacher of pet owner has to see what is going on and be something of a behavioral specialist. Not every one wants to bother or has the time – for either species.
But if you’ve the patience, skills, and determination to win a rescue dog’s heart, you’ll never find a more devoted and forever grateful companion.
I must check out Ray’s book.
Paw waves from Molly Malamute
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Hi Karen. I agree with everything you noted. I think that so many dogs (and other furry creatures) are adopted on an impulse without spending any thought on the potential disruption and/or costs. They often do not think further than the “cute puppy” and suddenly (revelation!), it grows up! I smiled at your reference to “used” dogs, and I did a Post on just that some time ago (link below):
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That is a cute and accurate phrase isn’t it? 🙂
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Hmmmmm! To be totally honest Karen, I really don’t like the term “used” being applied to any living creature. See my post:
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Personal preferences, then.
We have used cars – perfectly good and more environmentally kind than making a brand new shiny car. No doubt that little girl had either heard her parents talk or seen commercials for used cars (which works perfectly good as transportation) and transferred the concept to a perfectly good dog who matched with the right family is the perfect pet.
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So true. So many things are difficult to understand if you have not “been there, done that,” which often leads to faulty or judgmental thinking.
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Thank you Amy. My biggest problem (and I believe that I am fairly normal!), is to remember that before I comment. I must remember that, in most scenarios, I really do not have all the necessary knowledge and experience to offer anything more than a cursory observation. 🙂
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Absolutely, and not just to comment, but to form an opinion in your (our) own mind, things that make us who we are. Really good post.
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Thank you Amy. 🙂
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I have read a couple other posts Colin and you have a great handle on the training part. I love the “Intuitive Dog Training” and the hello part. Dogs are smarter than us a lot of times and keep us all on our toes.
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Thank you Ron. My main “assets” have been to readily observe Ray; ask questions; listen to the answers, and pay for services as necessary! Our Humane Society dog trainers have always been so supportive and free with sharing their expertise. In fact my book about Ray “Who Said I was up for Adoption?” would not have been written but for all the expertise that was shared with us, and which I in turn wanted to share with anybody who was interested.
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Yep – to be a good dog parent – is a big responsibility 🙂
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🙂
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