Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Dog Owner Rehabilitated...
From: RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg)
Date: 2 Jan 93 13:44:10 EDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Philosophy Dept., Wesleyan University
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Well, thanks to Sky & Gail & others who emailed advice to me, I took myself
down to the bookstore & got a copy of Job Michael Evans's PEOPLE, POOCHES &
PROBLEMS, as well as Barbara Woodhouse's NO BAD DOGS.  (One advantage of the
academic life is that you become a 'Quick Study' as part of your occupational
survival skills.)

Having read the other 2 books by the New Skete monks (HOW TO BE YOUR DOGS BEST
FRIEND and THE ART OF RAISING A PUPPY), I warmed up to Evans's approach rather
quickly (he, apparently, was one of the primary authors of HOW TO BE YOUR DOGS
BEST FRIEND, but had already left the order by the time they wrote THE ART OF
RAISING A PUPPY -- you can actually see from the (minor) differences in
training advice where he agreed & disagreed with those who remained at the
monestary).

LESSON #1:  Self-examination: "How am I contributing to or creating the
behavior problems I am experiencing with my dog?"  In my particular case:  Its
been a number of years since I was last a dog-owner;  there have been divorces,
moves, family reconfigurations, job changes since then.  It is naive of me to
think that I can just "do what I <think I remember that I> did before with my
last dog(s)" because *I* have changed, & so has my life, my family & my living
circumstances.

LESSON #2:  Buffy is not a baby.  I have dealt with more human young than
puppies in the last 15-or-so years.  If she were a 6-month old BABY, my
attitude toward her would be fine, but she's not; she's a dog.  For a
6-month-old DOG I've let her get pretty spoiled & demanding, & it isn't cute.

LESSON #3:  I got a great pup who was well socialized, bright, curious,
friendly, energetic, & easy for other people & dogs to befriend.  She deserves
to grow up into a grown dog who still has these characteristics.  It would be
selfish of me not to give her the opportunity (e.g., by mis-training her so
that she is, or is perceived by others, as an obnoxious, difficult, or
unreliable dog). 

RESOLUTION #1:  Begin addressing her & thinking of her as the call-name I
originally gave her:  "Buffer", not "Buffy".  "Buffy" is a cute, puppy
diminutive, but it is not a term of respect for her as an individual. So "cute
little Buffy" as of now, is "Buffer" -- ALL the time. 

RESOLUTION #2: After spending this weekend planning & acquiring the necessary
equipment (gates, leash 'tabs', 30-foot clothesline, etc.) & re-reading the
RRRR chapter, I will begin the RRRR regimen with Buffer on Monday, INCLUDING no
off-leash play until she is reliably trained to COME on recall every time.  Yes
this looks like a lot of work & like a big drag.  No, it does not look like as
much work or as big of a drag as having a poorly trained, unreliable or bratty
dog for the next 15 years.  I will look forward to allowing her to rejoin her
off-leash play group later this spring or summer, when she is reliably trained
to the recall, & there is no question about who is in charge.

RESOLUTION #3:  Continue with plan to begin another 8-week obedience class a
week from now.  Obedience class homework can be worked into the RRRR regimen
pretty easily.  Be a little more humble this time & don't fudge the trainer's
instructions because I think I "know my dog better than she does." <wince>

Thanks to those who were honest enough & straightforward enough in your replies
to my posting about a "training problem <sigh>" to get me to see what I need to
do here.  I really do appreciate it, & I'll keep you posted about how Buffer &
I are doing with RRRR (I expect that the results will be excellent).

------------------------
Ruth Ginzberg <rginzberg@eagle.wesleyan.edu>
Philosophy Department;Wesleyan University;USA