The week I Annoyed a Horrified, Arrogant Pile of Dog Owners on Facebook

And how you can join in the fun and do it too! - Issue 50

Hi Gang

It’s a wet and windy day here in Exning, and I’m so glad that I am able to spend most of the day warm and cosy in front of my laptop with you fine dogparents.

Twyla is not a fan of the wind; she convinces herself a million postmen are banging about in the garden, all trying to get in. So she positions herself squarely on door duty lest any of those pesky people in red try to deliver parcels. Or, heaven forbid the local magazine.

Neither does she enjoy the rain. This is seriously handy, as neither do I, so we spend wet and windy days like today battening down the hatches, drinking coffee and having snugs on the sofa.

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Unpopular Opinion:

I am not known for sitting back on things I feel passionately about, and how humankind treats animals is one of those things. It’s probably the most significant thing on my mind the vast majority of the time. And boy, I love to vent when I spot an injustice.

So… after spotting one such injustice, I ruffled a few feathers this week on social media when I suggested this:

The point I wanted to get across is that there are ways of working WITH our dogs to help them become reliable and safe and behave appropriately without us resorting to force and coercion. Sadly, a lot of people still do not see this, and they believe that animals are below humans and that their experience is somehow less valid than our own.

Photo by Luis Desiro on Unsplash

Soapbox time…

Sometimes, I feel people expect far too much from dogs when we have already taken their independence and choices in life.

• We choose when they eat and drink, what they can have and where.

• We choose who they see and where.

• We choose who their friends are.

• We choose who they can mate with.

• We choose where they sleep and when.

• We don’t let them go anywhere without us.

• We decide what they can play with.

• We choose their activities and hobbies.

• We don’t let them choose to investigate things unless we deem them ok to do so.

• We even decide when they can go to the toilet.

Can you imagine how frustrating that must be? To have no agency in your own life.

If a human did that to another human … they would end up in prison or at least with a cease and desist order against them - there are words for this behaviour. But our dogs are expected to take it without a grumble.

We control so much of their lives already that we at least owe it to them not to expect blind obedience out of fear of consequences but instead to teach them kindly how to navigate the world.

AND to find ways of giving them choices, be it the choice between two chews, a few toys, which way to go on a walk, different beds to pick from or a whole pile of things we can do to give them back some of their autonomy. This simple act, on its own, helps to relieve many frustration-based behaviours.

We at Fun Not Fear® Club/Locke’s Dog will never see animals that way, and I am so happy that most of my clients feel the same way. And if I upset a few apple carts along the way, I’m proud to do so!

I’m so glad we/you see all of our dogs as outstanding individuals they are. Relationship is at the heart of all success with our dogs.

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Scrumperdinger.com

Author’s own image. Twyla is looking scrumptious.

Dear Fans,

I have great news! My Peter and I came up with fantastic ideas for projects next year, all about teaching young children how to behave around dogs and understand us when we try to tell you something. We will write some books and make videos starring none other than me.

(My Peter is very good at drawing dogs, and he ALWAYS captures my best side. My mum is a KAD - Kids Around Dogs trainer and knows a little about it too.)

This means we dogs will be less inclined to bite accidentally and feel much safer and happier. Also, children will feel safer and less afraid of dogs as they will get to know us better.

Mum said I’m a very clever Scrumperdinger to have these great ideas. My Peter says he thought of it first, but we all know it was me.

Kisses,

Twyla xx

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Spotted and sharing.

“Spooked By Bangs” - An excellent case study by my friend Theo Stewart, all about a Staffy who was afraid of gunshots and other bang noises.

Theo’s website is a treasure trove of stories about the 1000s of dogs she has worked with over the years. She is an unofficial mentor to many dog behaviourists in my professional circles. Well worth a look through!

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My other posts - because I write about other stuff too!

I Absolutely LOVE Online Writing Every Day. You Can Easily Too.

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Handy links.

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That’s it for this week,

Warm ‘n’ Fuzzies,

Freya xx