[PyrNet-L] Re: pinch and electric collars

[clhenke@juno.com]

Brandy, actually behaving like a dog is probably not as bad as you think.
 Without our manipulation dogs behave rather well amongst themselves.  We
certainly could learn a lot from them, and I am always amazed at what
magnificent creatures they are as we learn more about them.

Dogs very often feed each other and look out for one another, both in
gestures of kindness, and for other reasons as well.  Among the wild
African dogs ( the multi-color ones with the gigantic ears ) the studies
indicate that there is virtually no fighting in the pack, the ill and the
young are fed first, the hunters eat last.  Among wolves, in theory ,the
alpha male is fed first ( the leader needing strength ) but in reality it
has been found that he often takes his first feed, and distributes it,
and eats last.  Now certainly there are any number of reasons why animals
do what they do ( since we are also animals the same may be said for us
), and I really don't want to get in to all that on the list.  But, they
are rather complex creatures and we do them an injustice when we don't
attempt to understand them!

Several folks have written with the notion that all the dogs want is to
dominate us.  I don't even know where that comes from?  In reality, they
really don't.  They have a great pack structure, and the vast majority
play lesser roles.  We really only deal with a few true alpha types. 
Evidently control is the human problem here, if they don't do what we
want them to, we feel threatened and have to resort to overkill as far as
training.  Dogs read and use body language....they learn ours...we don't
learn theirs.

As an example, Horses have been " broken"  for years using sometimes
horrible methods.  At best the act of riding a horse and bucking it out
till it's spirit is broken is bad enough.  A stubborn  horse suffers
further abuse, legs tied up, dropping it to the ground, standing on it to
show it who's boss, standing in logging type chains, etc.  Some really
awful things.  Monty Roberts found that by studying the way horses
interact and use their body language that a horse will come to work for
you by things as simple as how you place your body, the angle, the tip of
your head, where and how you touch them  etc., etc.  Dogs are different
than horses, but all animals respond, when based on understanding their
behaviors.  It would be like not understanding a language, or what
someone wanted you to do, and then being told  in your language and
understanding.  It is really that simple....humans over complicate the
communication!  Speech can be over rated if you loose the ability to read
visual signals.  Also to use visual signals to our advantage.

We need to quit feeling like we have to dominate to control, work with an
animal rather than always fighting it, or  thinking that it is always out
to get us.  When your dog pulls to get at something it has it's own
agenda that does not mean it is out to control you!  It may actually just
want to go and investigate something, nothing more complex than that. 
You have to figure out a mutual way of dealing with it, without harsh
controls!  And I write this in a totally generic way not talking about
any one person in particular.  We humans don't do a good job of
understanding animals, and we need to really learn from them!   I.M.O.  
Cindy.

Cindy Henke
clhenke@juno.com
Ennis, Texas

"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and answers, is contained
in the dog."  ~ Franz Kafka

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