Spoil them! Why not?

I am talking to my colleague Erica about the particular concepts that we are thinking about these days. We are sharing our peeve projects and what we share with them and why we think it is important.  

We are sharing our ideas as to why one should train dogs (or any animal for that matter) and we both agree that we should train them in order to make their lives better.  That simple. That powerful.

Many people who keep dogs as pets truly are trying to fulfill the important task of making their lives better.  

These folks are making good choices for their dogs. Their dogs get to go places, they have ample opportunity for physical as well as mental stimulation, they are safe and feel safe - for the most part, they eat nutritious food that will help them thrive.  Their days are filled with games, fun and the company of perhaps other dogs and their people. 

Now here is a curious fact: Most of the world’s dog population are not pet dogs but dogs that have loose associations with humans or no association besides eating out of dumpsters created by the humans so they remain feral.

I would argue that part of training dogs to live a better life should include behaviors and management that will keep them safe of harm as humanly as possible. Also, training can help in incorporating dogs - which are yes domesticated, yet still animals in our household, where it is important that they can learn not to chew on our stuff, soil our carpets and keep reasonably quiet for our sake and that of our neighbors. These are all good reasons to train our dogs, because when the above is not in place, dogs do lose their homes. 

Of course, much more needs to be done with dogs - unlucky fellows that for whatever reason fear most or a lot of what happens in “our” world - now their world. Because once dogs learn that biting people (or dogs) keeps them safe they continue to do so if they are not taught alternative ways of dealing with the stress and fear that is part of the bargain of living in close proximity to people. 

Yes, indeed we must continue to strive to make our interactions with dogs a lot safer so that they do not have to aggress as a result of feeling threatened and potentially hurt someone. 

It goes without saying that learning about “real” dogs is the first step in understanding how to make things work for all parties.  

Now back to the importance of spoiling our dogs. Our relationship with our dogs does not escape cultural norms.  So, one must ask:  What are the cultural norms in regards to animals in general and pets in particular? Of course, cultural norms are never static but are challenged and as a result they change.  

Unfortunately, most societies still view animals as a means to an end. We are invested in animals as long as they produce something of value to us. Nothing more! Sad but very true. Little care or regard is paid to really learning about animals, their needs and their ethos.  This dreadful legacy has many roots but one of them is industrialization.  The more removed we are from animals that are the source of our food, the less the connection that these are sentient beings that are in need of our care and understanding based on who they are and not our capricious desires. 

It is tempting to think that yes indeed there is a difference between how we treat “those other” animals and our pets.  But should there be?   Great discussion for another blog entry.

Still, our relationship with our pets is bound by our cultural norms. On the one hand, (and I am now talking mainly of the USA) the pet industry with all its offerings, sees yearly earning of billions of dollars!

But the question remains:  Are our pets living wonderful lives? In many ways, yes. Just like us they are getting better health care, better food, etc.  However, there is still that “selfish” side to our cultural norms that dictate that our pets are supposed to provide us with emotional support, protection, and status.  I would argue there is nothing morally wrong with this but the question remains:  Are our pets living wonderful lives?

There is so much to gain in being in a relationship with our dogs. Our relationships with them can be one of the most valuable and nurturing of all. However, can we move past seeing our pets ONLY as surrogates for our needs?  

Can we begin to soften up to what they want, what they need and commit to providing that just because they deserve it- and not because of what they can do for us?  Can we begin to see more and more how our lives and choices impact their lives? Can we spend precious time with them enjoying their company, their antics?  What I call their dogness.  

One of the main reasons I do what I do has to do with my deep commitment to providing people that seek my professional advice with factual information about the nature of dogs. We truly must move away from debunked theories such as the Alpha/pack mentality where there are winners (us) and losers (our dogs). A theory mostly based on cultural norms of domination than facts.  Pathetic! 

And, of course, theories do exercise an impact in how lives are lived, so let’s make sure that the narratives that we subscribe to are narratives that are based on factual information, not fad, not violence for the sake of it and definitively not based in fear of being the “loosing party”.  

Let’s instead, train our dogs so that their lives are better, so that they are safe and are safe to be round but for heaven’s sake let’s also spoil them with abandonment as we commit to their needs being met so that their lives and ours - together, are truly wonderful.