Re: [pyrnet] Behavior issue

[clhenke@juno.com]

Jan, Katie didn't imply that the dog savagely bit.  And I am a firm
believer in the fact that there are levels of biting.  It is often the
only way a dog can express or protect.  Something else we tend to forget
is respect.  A nine year old dog is in effect a Grandmother.  She is
likely to be more short tempered.  The bites as Katie described them were
correctional, non-skin breaking, or even bumping the child back.  We may
not like that behavior....but it is the way corrections are made.  It has
been said that we treat animals like children, and in old age finally
allow them some common respect in age.  In truth no two year old human is
going to find a missing person, take a bullet, detect a seizure, defend
with it's life, or do anything else a two year old dog is going to do. 
So in fact we disrespect them for what they are,  Fully functional adults
in their own world.  We need to respect them for that, and give them the
respect old age deserves as well.  If this dog is only showing this
tendency at nine, wouldn't you be inclined to wonder why, rather than
think it is a dog gone bad?  And actually Katie was asking for help, not
suggesting the dog needed to be put down, for that I give her credit. 
You can tell a savage out of control dog, from one that is sullen, or
just doesn't want you to bother her.  And yes, we are obligated to
protect our children, but it doesn't mean the dog has gone bad.  As dog
people, we must understand how dogs react to their world....not how we
think they do by our standards.  Tessa doesn't sound like a bad dog, just
an old girl who wants someone to correct those darn young
whippersnappers, and make them behave like respectful pups!  I don't
think that's too much to ask?  Cindy

Cindy Henke
clhenke@juno.com
Ennis, Texas

"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and answers, is contained
in the dog."  ~ Franz Kafka

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