A young girl called my office last week distraught over her six-month old puppy’s behavior. “If you can’t do something,” the girl said, “my dad says he’s going to shoot him. And he means it.” I didn’t doubt that this was true. I glanced down at my own dog. She was looking up at me, head cocked, waiting for a sign that would let her know she could go back to sleep after being rudely awakened by the ringing phone. I’m not sure exactly what the sign is. After that particular call, the sign was probably when I start to breathe again. I do know that eventually I move, or change my facial expression or tone of voice in such a way that she can take her attention off of me and go back to whatever it was she was doing before the phone rang.

My dog is always watching me. Usually she reads me very well. But every so often, she misinterprets something. When she does, she tucks her tail, her ears droop and she slinks into another room to hide. I never know exactly what it is I’ve done. No words are every exchanged. It bothers me and I try my best to make amends. It is so devastating to her that sometimes it’s taken an hour for her to forgive me. It’s frustrating and confusing for both of us. I like to think I’m pretty careful about body language. But the misunderstanding is caused by something so subtle that it is beyond my understanding. I accidentally use a very bad word in a foreign language.

Our dogs try hard to understand us but much of the time they fail miserably. Few people bother to try to understand their dog. Some people try to understand but translate their dog’s behavior into human emotions, values, and motivations. Dogs have a completely different set of emotions, values and motivations. This is where communication between people and their dogs first breaks down. Without speaking a common language, misunderstandings are bound to be a common occurrence. It is a credit to people and dogs that in spite of the misunderstandings, after tens of thousands of years, we still continue to try to cohabitate.

I am against the routine crating of puppies and pet dogs. Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t believe crates are natural to dogs. What is natural for a dog is being a member of a pack. Crates are beneficial to humans who need a place to safely store their pet while they are away from home all day. Even as little as four hours alone in a cage is too much social isolation for some dogs. Puppies that spend their days alone do not generally grow up to be all their owners hoped they would be. There must be exceptions, of course, but I’ve never seen one. A dog can’t watch you when you’re not there. He can’t learn to understand you if he can’t see you. Puppies that spend their days alone in crates are at a disadvantage and so are their owners. A few short hours in front of the TV at night before bed is not enough time to develop understanding. These puppies rarely learn all the little nuances of human behavior they need to live happily with people. As adults, they almost always have some behavior problem and are isolated or restricted because of it. These dogs are often chewers, barkers, or house soilers. Puppies need to be watched, nurtured, and guided until they are old enough and wise enough to be trustworthy. It’s a full time job.

We can try to make rational, not emotional, decisions about getting a dog. We can choose not to get that cute little puppy if there is no one home during the day to raise him. It’s not easy. Puppies are hard for people to resist. So, sometimes I get phone calls from little girls in tears. It’s all about communication.

Copyright 2004 Kathie Compton