"They're Dogs"

"They're dogs." This is a phrase I use a lot when talking about my dogs. Or any dogs. I realized recently that the phrase means different things to different people. It comes across as "they're JUST dogs", but really it means something very different to me.

I have two dogs: a 7+ year old rottweiler and a 6+ year old mutt. I love them immensely and I am a better person because of their presence in my life, but that will have to be the subject of another blog post. I believe that as a dog owner, it is my duty to provide mental, physical, and emotional fulfillment to my dogs. A dog that is fulfilled in these 3 areas is what I call a "balanced" dog. Most behavior problems in dogs can be traced back an unbalance in one of these.

A key to developing a balanced dog is realizing she is not, in fact, human - (contrary to the popular tagline on doggie collectibles, "Dogs are just little people with fur coats", although I think that is really cute). To me, they are neither less than nor greater than humans; "they're dogs." Dogs needs are different than ours. They're designed to live in packs, follow a leader (or leaders), have a job, and have plenty of physical exertion. Dogs that are not provided these basic needs may become unbalanced and that unbalance can manifest itself in erratic behavior - not listening to the owner, separation anxiety, incessant barking, and in the worst cases aggression towards other dogs or even people.

In the future I'll talk more about developing a balanced dog with some specific tips, insights, and anecdotes that have worked (or not worked) for me. There are few relationships in life as satisfying as the relationship with a fulfilled dog. Dogs have earned the name "man's (or woman's) best friend" - it's up to us to hold up our end of the deal by providing them the fulfillment they deserve.