Hi Friends!
I
am French and German. At the risk of resorting
to stereotypes, I believe that there are some moments I am more French
(romantic, loving) and other times in which I am German (stoic, rigid
and strong). In my work with
animals, I am so focused on the relationship through showing love and
affection. I also place importance on developing mutual respect with
animals.
The biggest mistake
dog owners can make with their dogs is to treat them like humans. The
human race is such a kind, compassionate species that we tend to look at
our canine companions as little humans, when in reality, they are
canines and have a very different thought process. This is what
differentiates mankind from other species in pack societies; there must
be a specific order, from the leader on down to the last follower.
Everyone has a place. The leaders are the strength of the pack, while
the followers need the leader to guide them. Dogs have an instinct to
constantly test the being above them and an instinct to know they will
always be tested by the being below them. Instinct tells them that if
there is not a strong being in charge, their life and the lives of the
rest of their pack are at stake. This primal instinct keeps the pack
secure and happy.
A dog is an animal and does not
possess the same reasoning skills as a human. Dogs do have emotions, but
their emotions are different than those of humans. They are simple
creatures with instincts, and their emotions lack complex thought
process. They feel joy when they know you are pleased, they feel sad
when someone dies. However, they do not premeditate or plan ahead, and
do not dwell in the past or future. They live for whatever is happening
at the moment.
Let’s say that you are upset over
something that has happened in your life, for example, your girlfriend
or boyfriend just broke up with you. Your dog will know you are upset,
but it will not know why. Your dog is unable to reason out in its head
that you have just been broken up with. Its interpretation of you will
be that you have unstable energy and it will see you as weak.
Similarly, when a
human shares its affection with a dog that is in any other state of mind
but a calm, submissive one (for example, aggressive, obsessive, shy,
skittish, fear or hyperactivity, etc.) and you give it a hug or pat it
on the head and tell it all is OK, it is comforting to the human, but
intensifies the dog’s current state of mind. You are telling the dog it
is OK to feel that way. While a human feels they are comforting the dog,
the dog sees it as a weakness, as you are not providing strong energy
from which the dog can feed. If your dog has a traumatic experience and
you show it affection during that time by trying to comfort it, rather
than letting it work through the situation in its own mind and being a
strong leader it can feed from, you leave it stuck in that state of
mind. Later when your dog faces this traumatic situation again, when you
comfort the dog, this intensifies the situation even more. You are
creating the problem. Dogs do not see comfort and affection in the same
way we humans see it. Dogs are always looking for a strong stable being
to feed from.
On the same note: when a dog is
constantly leaning on you, putting his paw on you, using his nose to
make you pet him, and always feeling the need to be touching you in some
way, this is not your dog loving you, it is your dog displaying dominant behaviors.
In the dog world, space is respect. A dog that is constantly nudging
you and leaning on you, is not only disrespecting you, it is being the
alpha dog.
If a dog has an operation and you feel sorry for the dog—at a time in the dog's life when it needs a strong pack leader more than ever to feed from—you instead become weaker in the dog’s mind.
If
you show weakness to your dog, the
dog instinctively takes over the role of leader whether he wants to or
not, because there must be a strong leader
and an order in a dog's pack. If the dog does not feel he is strong
enough to handle the role of leader it can be very stressful, and even
terrifying, for the dog to have such a heavy weight on its shoulders, as
it tries to look after all of the humans around it. Humans often give
the dog mixed leadership signals, which throw the dog off balance,
confusing his psyche, and causing many of the psychological/behavioral
problems we see in dogs today. Mental tension and energy build up within
the dog, which lead to many common canine behavior issues: eliminating
in
the house, obsessive behaviors, neurotic behaviors, chewing on
themselves, being overly excited, barking excessively, whining, not
following their owner’s commands, not coming when called, running off,
getting into the trash, destroying things in the house, obsessively
digging, chewing the furniture, tail-chasing, scratching, aggression
toward other dogs, animals, or humans, snapping, biting, growling, and
becoming just plain old uncontrollable (just to name a few). Whatever
the problem is, it is more likely than not, traceable back to the way
you treat your dog. In some cases it may appear the dog is just nuts, or
psycho, and there is nothing one can do about it.
This is also the number one cause of separation anxiety.
In a pack, the leader is allowed to leave; however, the followers
never leave the leader. If your dog is instinctively seeing you as its
follower and you leave it, the dog can be so mentally anguished that it
will often take its frustration out on your house or itself.
I would appreciate assisting you with establishing greater respect and you as "leader of the pack, please contact me at anytime.
Thanks so much!
Paul
Paul F. Flotron
Creature Comforts Great & Small, LLC
"Giving your creatures the comfort they deserve"
www.CreatureComfortsGreatnSmall.com
314-200-8561
Cell: 314-775-7107
I would appreciate assisting you with establishing greater respect and you as "leader of the pack, please contact me at anytime.
Thanks so much!
Paul
Paul F. Flotron
Creature Comforts Great & Small, LLC
"Giving your creatures the comfort they deserve"
www.CreatureComfortsGreatnSmall.com
314-200-8561
Cell: 314-775-7107
No comments:
Post a Comment