Are We Micro-Managing Our Pets?

ARE WE MICRO-MANAGING OUR PETS?

Personal trainers, doggy day care, hydrotherapy, pet massage, doggy camps and spas, play dates. Do our dogs need a ‘time-out’ from our over-scheduling them like kids, when all they want is to chase their tails?

There have been many situations recently where people, especially children, have been attacked or mauled by a dog. Just last night in Glendale CA, an infant was pulled away from the mother and mauled by the grandmother’s Rottweiler -- sadly the child died as a result of the attack.

Being a pet behaviorist, pet therapist and trainer for over thirty years, I consistently try to analyze changes in our pet’s behavior. In the 80’s, it was the two-income family leading to the “latch key pet”, and even worse, separation anxiety -- one of the most common question asked on my radio show. So why the increase in attacks? Are we to blame?

I will go into this subject in more detail in future blogs. Let me start by saying that many trainers and so called behaviorist advocate that you have to be in charge you have to be the “ALPHA DOG.” I ask you to think about this: Let’s say that one member of the family takes charge of the dog, and that individual is consistent and authoritative. This person then becomes the so-called “leader of the pack” or the “alpha.” From the dog’s perspective, he had better challenge other family members for a higher position within the pack. That is where many aggressive problems begin. No one is a stronger advocate of training dogs then I, having personally supervised the training of over 40,000 pets. But isn’t it time that we let our dogs be dogs? When I was growing up, all the dogs in the neighborhood dug holes, barked from time to time and even peed in the house occasionally. Now we want our dogs to behave like little Lord Fauntleroy and that’s not good.

I am a firm believer that keeping your pet mentally stimulated and socialized is important, but there are times that we should let sleeping dogs lie.