Stupid Human Tricks

One of my pet peeves (no pun intended but it is funny) are idiots that do not know how to greet a dog. Almost never is it people who don’t know dogs and know they don’t know dogs but usually the people who know dogs (or at least say they do) but really do not.

Example: A week or so ago I was walking with a pit bull in downtown San Diego trying to get her ready to take her Canine Good Citizen test. We walked by a store where I knew someone who worked so I stopped outside the doorway to talk to him. As we were standing there a young woman walked by and asked it she could pet the dog. Sure I told her. She started petting the dog and before you could say Jack Russell she had her face pressed up against the pit bulls face and was kissing her. “I just love dogs” the young woman said as she stood up to leave. She demonstrated how little she knows about dogs, and I sincerely doubt that she knows how lucky she was. Had the pit bull been either the boxer or German shepherd I worked with recently the end of the encounter between the two cultures might have had a very different ending; Say with a run to the emergency room.

Sadly I see this kind of behavior from humans all to often and when something goes wrong somehow it is always the dogs’ fault. That just seems wrong. The dog did not ask you to pet them; they did not stick their face into yours (a very rude thing in the dog world and a challenge to fight to boot). Please, when you see people doing this most stupid of behaviors say something. You just might save them a few stitches and more importantly a dogs life.

I have attached a great cartoon of how not to greet a dog. It is very well done. Lili Chin did the work and you can view more of her work at http://doggiedrawings.net

Charger Fan

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit with a pit bull mix named Charger. Her owner asked me to do an evaluation of her because she was doing some resource guarding and was beginning to get a little aggressive with three dogs in the household and more aggressive with the female pack leader.

I met Teri, the mother, and Charger late in the afternoon at her place of work. I took along one of my dogs, Handy. Handy is probably the most stable, non-threatening dog I have ever seen. She will correct another dog once in a while but her buttons really have to be pushed so I use her often when working with shy or fearful dogs. So far she has never been hurt and we just hope we keep the same good karma going.

At first Charger was growlie but we soon put an end to that and shortly had the dogs taking treats while sitting side by side. Like most trainers I like to make money, and need to make money so I can keep on training, but I also like to be fair with people. I gave Teri some ideas to try at home so she could save money. If the ideas worked for her then great, if not then she could call me and we would set up a training schedule for her and Charger. So far I have not been called for training so I guess everything is going well. I have seen Teri a couple of times and get good reports on Charger.

All that you have read prior to this in this story is not really what the story is about at all. What it is about is how amazed I am about the behavior of dogs, well all animals I guess.

When I met Charger and Teri for the consultation Teri had a litter of kittens in her office. They were they in a box and were being well tended to by Charger. The mother of the kittens had been killed by a coyote. A friend of Teri’s found the kittens so she and Teri would take turns caring for them. When the kittens were very young Charger, the aggressive pit bull mix, decided that she would be the kittens mother. She would lick them and clean them up if they messed themselves and would take care of them the way any good mother takes care of her off spring. The kittens would climb out of their box and Charger would gently pick them up and put them back in. She allowed the kittens to crawl around on her and she would play with them.

Sadly, but as it always is, the kittens have gotten older and are just about ready to leave the care of Teri and her friend but I think it is Charger who will miss them the most. She found a moment of peace in this world and her peace was found helping another creature quite unlike her. She might have some problems with aggression but I can only wish that most of us had as much compassion for others unlike ourselves as Charger showed to her kitty’s. Thanks for the lesson Charger. You are beautiful.

Home Check

Besides dog training I am a volunteer for Labradors & Friends in San Diego. I do home checks for them for prospective adopters. I do enjoy the work but I do not take it lightly. It is easy when you see a very good potential new family for a dog that is in need of a new home but it gets a little dicey when there is some question in your mind.

You always want to help the family find their dog, and for the dog to find its forever home but once in awhile you come across a situation that you have to think about for one reason or the other. It does weigh on you a bit that you might make the wrong decision and that if you had not approved the dog for a home that might not be a good fit that the dog could have gone to a wonderful home and had a very good life. I guess that you just have to trust your heart when you make that determination.

If you have a question about dog training you can contact me through the web site: acmek9services.com