It's hard for us to understand why they don't always understand what we expect of them, and it may be just as difficult for us to understand their needs. The dog who digs up his owner's yard can't comprehend the amount of time and expense that went into the landscaping and rosebushes. But it may also be true that his owner doesn't appreciate a dog's need to exercise and interact socially with other dogs or with human companions. Denied social opportunities, the dog may decide that landscape destruction is an amusing way to keep himself occupied. A dog who gets plenty of exercise and companionship and is given his own special part of the yard to dig in will no longer wreak havoc on the landscape.
Tolerance is also an essential element of a human-companion animal relationship.
No relationship is perfect, but a successful relationship is one in which the dog owner understands and accepts the fact that dogs will be dogs and will have an innate need to do all of the things that dogs do. Cats will undoubtedly feel the need to exhibit feline behavior, and their human companions must be committed to understanding and accepting that behavior if the relationship is to succeed. It's a fact of cat life. Scratching allows a cat to stretch and exercise, to mark her home with her own scent, and to shed overgrown nails. Cat owners who understand and accept normal cat behavior provide an acceptable place for their cats to perform this instinctive activity, and cat and owner live in peace.