Maryna Ozuna, founder of Kinaesthetics and a guest on the “My Doggie Says…” radio talk show on January 6, 2010, wrote the following comments on the articles on this blog. She really “gets” the dogbonding concept.
I thought you brought up really important points about the dialogue that should be part of our relationship with our dogs == that I realized for me was invisible and automatic, but wasn’t for my clients. Since then, I have been playing with making that piece of the puzzle more explicit. What I have always said was that part of the dog’s reward for doing what we need them to do, when we need them to do it, was what I call “dog time” — which for e.g. would be your frisbee time with Jamie, or ball time with your young pup. It has been really interesting making that piece of the puzzle explicit. It is so much a part of the warp and woof of my daily life that I don’t even think about it.
Some examples from myself and clients just in the last few days. A yearling Papillon belonging to a client of mine. Naughty, naughty when he came in, but bright, and very funny, and very opinionated. When he went home, we needed to continue crate training, but he threw a hissy fit when the crate was put in the laundry room. Put his crate in the bedroom and draped with a cloth (cold here, and he’s a little bit of a thing) and he slept through the night again. I didn’t care where the crate was, (we had some strategies for where he needed to be when they were away at work for right now), as long as he was crating and relaxing. He made it clear where he wanted the crate — no impairment to the training protocol, — so why not put it where it made him happy.
A silly one with my horse. I added in some supplements into his winter food. I mixed them in. He likes those pellets a lot, so I was frustrated when he kept flipping his rubber grain pan upside down, scattering his feed everywhere and basically having a temper tantrum. I finally figured out that he wanted to get to the good stuff — so now I pile it on top in one pile. Again, doesn’t matter to me, as long as he eats everything, and doesn’t grind it into the dirt. He’s happy. I’m happy.
Then, an example, a little sadder in detail. I recently lost my two old terriers. I thought after the last one went, that I would move the crates around in the house to consolidate, and moved my 3 yo Shiba’s crate into the spot where one of the terriers had been. She would have nothing to do with it. She is a very dominant dog, were I not to intervene, the pack alpha bitch, co-leader with my old boy shepherd and my medic alert dog. So, she is very much allowed and encouraged to have an opinion. Well, she came unglued. Cranky, volatile, pouting, moody. We lasted ten days, as I had moved one of the client dogs in her spot, and then said, “ok, ok, already,” and moved everything back. Took her a few days to get over her pouting, but now she’s back to normal. Again, I don’t care where her crate is, and she CERTAINLY did!, so why not do what makes her happy.
You have made me realize that really, my whole day from am to nightfall is a constant dialogue of what we want to do next. Do they want to come with me, or stay home? Do we need to stop and go for a walk, or ok to run more errands? Indeed, the whole process of potty training really involves paying attention as opposed to imposing training. So, for e.g. today I was out and about with the dogs teaching a lesson, and Lily was a little fussy in the car — which she never is, and meant that she had not gone this morning on am walk — so I turned the car away from town and went down to a trail along the river. We walked, she pottied, the male played, and all was well in the universe. We went to town and I got bones as they have been looking at their dog food bowls the last few nights like it was the most boring thing they had ever been subjected to…..and on it goes, a constant dialogue.
I am finding myself pointing out more and more things that I just take for granted. And yes, you’re absolutely right — having a well behaved dog has nothing to do with their not having a vote…
