Pet care: Finding the path to canine wellbeing
Last in a series.
As Scott slowly recovered from distemper, he began to eat on his own and even play. It was a huge relief; my best friend was going to be OK. To my parents, though, he was 鈥渁 dog.鈥� They were right.
We love our pets like little people in furry suits, so shouldn鈥檛 they comport themselves like good children? Canine brains are hardwired differently. Scott was genetically programmed to point and retrieve birds with mental focus, along with a generous helping of physical stamina. Confined to the kitchen and only allowed outside on-leash to prevent damage to the suburban landscaping, he was a fish out of water. Maybe I should have raised guppies instead. Not!
I was clueless, and, sadly, so were my parents. Scott鈥檚 house soiling and woodwork chewing were 鈥渂ad behaviors.鈥� I did my best. We tugged on chew toys together and played ball outside, but none of that was a substitute for the work he really needed.
Unwanted behaviors certainly need to change, but like any disorder, it鈥檚 the underlying cause that merits serious attention. Corrections and aversive punishments don鈥檛 solve confusion, especially for a pet floundering in a barren environment. Our three-bedroom, 1陆-bath house in the burbs didn鈥檛 feel contrived to us, but it wasn鈥檛 a great fit for a dog who would have thrived in open fields working for a bird hunter.
I did what I could to bring out the best. I gave Scott scrap lumber to chew. I told him he was good when he relieved himself outside. But the poor guy was not set up to succeed. His child leader wasn鈥檛 either.
Well-intentioned pet lovers shouldn鈥檛 feel guilty for their mistakes. We do what we can with what we know at the time. There is almost always a path to well-being. Back in the dark ages of my youth, there was no credible research; veterinary behavior medicine didn鈥檛 exist. But even then, Scott鈥檚 intensity could have been shifted to 鈥渏unior handler鈥� obedience classes and even competition. It鈥檚 2025. Search my website, , for help.
For help with behavior problems, you can sign up for a Zoom group conference at
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