Dear Dogcharmer readers,
Some thoughts about responsibility: In the Bible’s Book of Genesis, God gave us dominion over all living things. In the U.S., we kill more than 600,000 dogs a year in shelters. “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world”: That’s a quote from John Muir that I never forgot.
I just read that neuroscientists made tiny cars out of cereal containers, and taught rats to drive them to get treats. The cars could go 1.1 mph, and the rats clearly got dopamine hits, jumping in excitement when they saw the cars, and they drove with remarkable precision. And two-thirds of them preferred driving to the treats, over walking or running to get them. Who would have thought?
A biologist recounted how his dog followed a cart carrying the body of a mule who had been his companion for 12 years. When the mule was buried, the dog walked slowly over to the grave of his friend, and wailed. Who would have thought?
I remember a lady whose parrot refused to eat or talk while she was bedridden with COVID. When finally cured and out of bed, the lady’s parrot overate and wouldn’t shut up! Who would have thought? And vampire bats share blood with bats too sick to get their own. Who would have thought?
We humans give our dogs what space, time, and love we can spare. In return, they serve as eyes for the blind and ears for the deaf, guard our homes, find missing people, detect many types of cancer, make the best termite inspectors, etc., etc. Harmonizing with dogs is one of the best deals man has ever made, and yet we kill so many. Why? Irresponsible breeding, puppy mills, and the frustration of dealing with the obstreperous, ill-mannered dog. The trained dog lives a full life, loving and loved as a family member. Real training is not suppressing a dog’s exuberance, but redirecting it.
Dogcharmer Tom
Have a question for the Dogcharmer? Write to him at dogsrshelby@msn.com. Visit Tom Shelby’s website at dogsrshelby.com, and find him on Instagram @DogTrainerDiaries.