(Left) Ultra tiny adult Chihuahua & (right) very large almost mature Giant Schnauzer.
We live in a world where we're often times too easily distracted by the latest & greatest, the shiny toys of success. As the years have taught me, some of the most precious and magical things in life shine yet they are not gold and are not even tangible. Not so long ago, dogs had jobs. They were sentries, livestock guardians, vermin exterminators. They worked beside their human families toward the same goal. In modern times, the dogs have become companions, our buddies. But what few realize is the dog is an ever present mirror of his human. When I am lucky enough to have students who aren't just looking to train a dog in basic obedience, one of the first things I share with them is that the dog is our mirror. The question we really have to ask ourselves is: do we like what we see? If the answer is yes, then we are very lucky & can aspire to make the overall picture even better. If we do not, this is not a failure. This is an opportunity to grow as a person & as a handler.
I get calls & emails by the hundreds. Everyone seems to have a dog problem. If I was lucky enough to meet each of these dogs I would soon have to break the news that it is indeed the dog who has a human problem. And bless them everyone for doing their best to deal with their mostly well-meaning, extremely confusing human! The dog who won't walk on the leash sometimes can't because the human is saying, "heel" yet stands still. A dog can not heel without a human to, well, heel. The dog who puddles in the floor isn't trying to get even with his humans, he may be telling them. They simply aren't seeing him ask. The list goes on and on. I have met many dogs who can't or won't do things, according to their owners. It is a beautiful thing to watch the transformation. That dog possesses the ability to do all (within reason) that we ask. We simply don't know how or we're doing it wrong. And dogs, with their noble yet subtle ways, simply wait for us to get on board and figure things out.
Dogs possess a great deal of patience or they wouldn't be man's best friend. If the dog wasn't filled with good grace he simply could not deal with living with us. He is capable of scenting which deer in the herd is the proper target for a hunt. How does he do this? He does this through scent. It is also how a dog can often tell when we're sick, detect things like seizures, cancer cells, oncoming migraines or when a handler's balance is compromised. The dog can size up a human as if he were reading a book. He can read intention & our emotional changes. To sum it up, he sees who we really are, not just the face we show to the world. We humans are inferior to these noble creatures in so many ways yet they chose their place beside us. They also possess a great deal of forgiveness. Have a bad day at work, yell at the poor dog or step on his foot & -unless you've abused him- he forgives your error & will often times try to bring comfort to his human.
I look at my Giant Schnauzer who is a big, powerful dog possessing a great deal of strength & athleticism, yet she can lie in the floor and play with a little Chihuahua who is under three pounds and do no harm. She will protect these little dogs, myself and my home with her life if need be. We humans are very lucky to have such a friend as a dog, further proof that some of the most precious things in life glitter with magic and wonder yet they are not gold.
I get calls & emails by the hundreds. Everyone seems to have a dog problem. If I was lucky enough to meet each of these dogs I would soon have to break the news that it is indeed the dog who has a human problem. And bless them everyone for doing their best to deal with their mostly well-meaning, extremely confusing human! The dog who won't walk on the leash sometimes can't because the human is saying, "heel" yet stands still. A dog can not heel without a human to, well, heel. The dog who puddles in the floor isn't trying to get even with his humans, he may be telling them. They simply aren't seeing him ask. The list goes on and on. I have met many dogs who can't or won't do things, according to their owners. It is a beautiful thing to watch the transformation. That dog possesses the ability to do all (within reason) that we ask. We simply don't know how or we're doing it wrong. And dogs, with their noble yet subtle ways, simply wait for us to get on board and figure things out.
Dogs possess a great deal of patience or they wouldn't be man's best friend. If the dog wasn't filled with good grace he simply could not deal with living with us. He is capable of scenting which deer in the herd is the proper target for a hunt. How does he do this? He does this through scent. It is also how a dog can often tell when we're sick, detect things like seizures, cancer cells, oncoming migraines or when a handler's balance is compromised. The dog can size up a human as if he were reading a book. He can read intention & our emotional changes. To sum it up, he sees who we really are, not just the face we show to the world. We humans are inferior to these noble creatures in so many ways yet they chose their place beside us. They also possess a great deal of forgiveness. Have a bad day at work, yell at the poor dog or step on his foot & -unless you've abused him- he forgives your error & will often times try to bring comfort to his human.
I look at my Giant Schnauzer who is a big, powerful dog possessing a great deal of strength & athleticism, yet she can lie in the floor and play with a little Chihuahua who is under three pounds and do no harm. She will protect these little dogs, myself and my home with her life if need be. We humans are very lucky to have such a friend as a dog, further proof that some of the most precious things in life glitter with magic and wonder yet they are not gold.