Dogs, what do you think of when you hear or read that word? I think of a companion that will love me forever, that will be faithful, obedient, and true. Dogs don’t lie, steal, or cheat. They simply are. Some may think of fear when they hear that word, and others just don’t care. But to the dog lovers, that word means more than just the definition.
So what is it about that word that brings so much emotion to the surface of some people? Is it because they had a dog once that died tragically? Or maybe because they’ve heard so much positive stuff about dogs, and never had the opportunity to own one. Whatever the answer may be, the fact is that dogs are beloved creatures.
I have written many blog enteries about why people love dogs. I’ve asked people and received the same answer over and over, so I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but I do want to share the fascination that I have with dogs, with everyone else.
Have you ever witnessed wolves hunt? Or sheepdogs herd sheep? Or cattle dogs herd cattle? The fascinating thing about dogs is, they are not known to be natural thinkers, however, they are very well capable of doing so. Domesticated dogs have been known, however, to think circles around their owners. That’s why I have a job, to educate people about a dog’s thinking process. Normally, that thinking process is all reaction. Something happens, and the dog reacts. But in wolves, and dogs going through training, we tend to see them think, anticipate, and plan stratagies… just like us!
When wolves are hunting, they usually hunt herds of animals, say deer..as an example. Deer stick close together in feilds, so the wolves have to figure out a way to seperate one of them from the herd to bring it down. Some how, wolves stratagize and comunicate during the hunt. Say there’s a pack of 7 wolves hunting a herd of deer. First they all sneek up on the herd. Then, they may send two wolves around one way, two wolves around the other way, and the other three might attack head on. Now the two wolves flanking the herd on either side, may stay out of the deers’ line of sight until just the right moment. The three attacking head on get the deer running, and then split the herd up. Once that’s accomplished, the two wolves on either side of the herd may begin their attack taking the herd by surprise. Then they all single out a single deer, surround it, and move in for the kill.
On top of all of that, there is a chain of command in play. We see this in all dogs. Alpha males and alpha females that lead the pack, with submissives that do the alpha’s bidding. There are also challenges for leadership if one of the members see the alpha as an unfit leader. If the submissive wins the fight, he/she becomes alpha, and the previous alpha must leave the pack to start a new one, or become a lone wolf.
In my experience traing dogs, this is a common problem for people. People just don’t understand that their dog sees them either as a leader, or as a follower. Dogs that don’t mind their humans, are alpha dogs. It’s that simple. We as humans seem to believe that since we are humans, our dogs should automatically know we are the boss. So not true. We as humans need to prove to our dogs that we are fit leaders as well. I also see dogs that have been good dogs for a long while, when "all of a sudden" and "out of nowhere" they act out and start disobeying. This is because they no longer see us as fit pack leaders, so they try to take on the role themselves.
Dogs in the training process also seem to stratagize, anticipate, and plan. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve trained a dog to preform a new behavior, and the dog will preform it just before I give the command. There are also the dogs out there that love to learn so much, that they literally beg to be challenged. Border Collies are excellent examples of dogs that love challenge. If they aren’t challenged enough, they become destructive destroying everything in the house. Why? Because they were specifically bred to herd, and as I menchioned above, that requires thought. If they are couped up in a house or yard all day, they get cabin fever and go nuts! Of course, not just Border Collies are like that, there are many breeds.. even mixed breeds… that act out the same way.
The fact is that dogs are fascinating animals. They can be vicious killers, best friends, loyal companions, and insperations all in one. Dogs are "man’s bestfriend" for a reason… they are very much like us. We also can be vicious killers, best friends, loyal companions, and insperations. Dogs are our everyday reminders to live in the moment and charish life. They are our teachers of kindness, unconditional love, and loyalty. I know they truely inspire me to be the best I can be no matter what cirrcumstances I face in life.
Watching dogs think is amazing! I’d almost think they’d run the world if they could! If they did, it’d be a much nicer place to live.
