Where knowledge and science meet ethics and compassion

ASI Diary

Walking the Dog (Part 3): Making dogs in our own image

Tosca, our now 7 or 8 year old (age at adoption not known) rat-terrier/beagle mix companion has
visited us on this page on two earlier occasions (Walking the Dog; Walking the Dog: Part 2: A new
leash on life) and here prompts yet another blog.

A couple of days ago as Tosca and I approached a woman and her dog, Tosca bristled and
whined/growled. To make the extended exchange (between the two humans) short, she was irate at me for not training Tosca to suppress that response and be friendly. She herself was in the process of training her dog to sit still at the approach of another dog and/or person.

A related anecdote: When a person approaches our house, Tosca goes to the window and barks loudly and excitedly. I say, "good dog." Most people discourage that response by their dog -- in fact, my spouse also discourages my response to the dog's response. Yet another, when my spouse and I sit down for dinner, Tosca comes into the room and solicits food. She (Tosca) and I have negotiated how often she can do this. Most people discourage discourage that response -- in fact, my spouse....

In both of these instances there is a human choice, only apparently at the level of how to train
a dog. The choice is not in training method -- both use positive reinforcement-- but in how the
caregiver expects and wants the dog to act. What do we want/expect our dog to be like? But there
is a prior question: what does Tosca want/expect to do with her life and what does she want/expect our relationship to be like?

Many people use the trope of obedience when thinking about their dog. He or she is a "good dog"
refers to the level of obedience, and really, control they have over the dog. A more fitting
trope is that of individual preference and shared living. I want Tosca to be the dog she prefers
to be within the frame of being a member of our family, which is a blended inter-species family.
When you come to our home, you are not just visiting me and Ann. Expect to have to interact with
a dog-like being with her own personality -- in the case of Tosca, initially wary and protective
and eventually curious, lively, and demanding of attention.

- Ken Shapiro

Published by admin on 03/28/2012 10:37:00

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