Humanizing your dog.....bad baby!!!

I was going to do a blog about the dangers of humanizing your dog and why it is so prevelant with all the "purse babies" that are hanging off the arms of the post teenage women who are longing for their "doll" fix (PARIS!!!) and just as popular the older ladies who find themselves in an empty nest syndrome and transfer all the motherly instincts they have to a poor wee pooch. I see it time and time again in the store and not five minutes ago a woman complained that her dog eats all the toys to which I explained that "toys are tools and made to be played with and then taken away if the dog eats them in favour of chew sticks like the bully bones...then bring'em out when its play time....dogs think that by destroying them they are doing a job and what they are supposed to do"...she replied "well its his toy how is he supposed to know if it is his if I take it away...he'll feel like he doesn't own anything".
Ummmmm yeah.....I said nothing but in my mind I was thinking "he doesnt...hes a dog...dogs dont own things...they can inprint for a time on certain things but they dont OWN anything......stop making your dog into a child and then feeling pissed off when he acts like a DOG!!!" good thing I was only thinking it.
Some of the people have come into the store sharing dialogue such as "oh she/he says or feels or tells me" when refering to their dog. Or another person recently (I loved this one) said her dog "destroyed her $4000.00 couch because he needed an outlet for his anxiety by being in a new place".......?????????? or another said he was "afraid to move while sleeping cause the dog would get angry when woken up". This one I did respond to in a manner along the lines of "how about getting Rover's sorry ass off YOUR bed to sleep on his
own bed and let him know that YOU are the boss and not the other way around!?!?!?"
..I got back.."oh but he's my baby!!".....yeeehhhhhhhhhhhhh okaaayyyyyyyyyy have a nice day!

I absolutely LOVE the ideals and applications of one particular dog trainer who is getting alot of press these past few years but who really knows his stuff and can put into ink much better than I can so I have cut a bit from his teachings about the dangers of humanizing the pet....read on gentle readers!



Caesar Milan says:

I'm going to begin today's blog with a stunning revelation. It's a discovery that I made many years ago, and it has been invaluable in developing my human/dog relationship philosophy. Here it is:
Dogs are not people.

They are friendly, affectionate, and highly intelligent companions, but their mental processes are not the same as ours. A dog's fulfillment doesn't depend upon the cute outfits you buy for him. He doesn't remember with resentment the time you skipped the dog park because it was raining. And he won't love you more because you buy a more expensive brand of dog food. The keys to a calm, balanced dog are regular exercise, stable leadership, and affection given at the right time.

It makes sense that we should see a soulful glance from a dog and assume that he was mourning the loss of his toy, or that he understood and sympathized with the frustration we feel after a long, hard day at work. But our humanization often leads to what I call "issues." Issues can range from dominance and fear aggression, to phobias, anxiety, obsessions, or hyperactive energy. The mixed signals that result from treating your dog the way you would a human child may cause the dog to question his own role in your pack. This confusion can lead him to adapt erratically to ensure the pack's survival, and erratic behavior in any dog is a recipe for an unhealthy relationship.

Always keep in mind that your dog is what he is. He lives in the now and has specific needs. Make it your responsibility to know what those needs are and fill them, and you'll be able to maintain a strong, healthy pack.

.......so there ya have it from someone who can delicately wrap a message up in elegant prose to make it more palatable....makes it a wee bit nicer than."stop treating your dog like a child or small person who has the same screwed up mental afflictions that you may have...you are doing him/her a huge disservice and freaking them out buy not being a clear and strong pack leader/pet owner.
...my portable soapbox is now folded up for another day.
WOOF!!