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 | About Me |
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I've always had an affinity with dogs.
I say this not through any delusions of grandeur but as a simple statement of fact. I truly like them (just as well given my chosen career path), find them totally fascinating and have always and still do, enjoy their company. Often much more than my own kind. More importantly though, they appear to like and trust me. Dogs are sentient beings just like us, as individual as you and I and share similar emotions to ours but unlike people, they don't have any 'sides' to them. They are not as complicated as we are and so what you see is generally what you get. Although it has been argued in scientific circles that they are in reality selfish creatures whose only interest in life is that they have shelter, food in their stomachs and access to the great outdoors, (not so different to us then), they don't have the same 'end game' as we humans do. Their brain simply just isn't geared up for that. They for instance, have no concept of what is morally right or wrong, have no idea of time and so do not live their lives by the clock (although that can be argued when it is time for dinner or walkies ) and are unable to plan for the future, living solely for the moment. They do however and in their own way continually show us something akin to our verbalised definition of love, loyalty and companionship, traits often missing in humankind. They also manage to maintain the innocence of a child where we have lost ours.
As for me, I have been around dogs in one way or another for more years than I care to admit. From a pet owner to training security dogs in obedience and manwork and also drug and explosive dogs. Yet in all this time I kept wondering, what was the dog actually thinking, trying to tell me? Was it happy to do the work that was asked of him or was he not? I was sure I was missing something but not sure what it was. The dogs would continue to try and please but were they happy in doing so or simply following a set of commands that they were programmed to follow?
I became more and more interested in canine behaviour and so took the courses, wrote my dissertation and became qualified. (With a distinction). What I have learnt from then is a whole different ball game. The dog has his own language in which he trusts that we understand, afterall, it is an indelible genetic blueprint that the dog cannot alter and so it is up to us to learn what the dog is feeling or telling us. What I have learnt is that quite simply we often don't really have a clue.
As dog owners I believe we have a responsibility to understand our dogs as individuals and not simply as a status symbol, fashion accessory or as something to complete the picture of what we think our lives should be.
That is where I come in.
I can help you get the most out of what should be the most rewarding, unconditional relationship you will ever have.
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My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.
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