I’ve been paying more attention to this kind of thing over the last couple of days, and I’m doing it constantly. Another example: I rant about children and animals not knowing any better – your child is whining because he’s a child, and your dog is pulling on his leash because you haven’t taught him to walk nicely. What I don’t often manage is applying that same logic to adults. This parent is yelling at their kid because the sum of genetics and environment is making them yell. This owner is complaining about his dog because he has not been taught how to train dogs, and it is overwhelming to him.
I try to remember that we all think we’re doing the right thing, but with animals and children, it comes much more naturally.
@Zaku Well, one thing shook me…the blog is warning against letting children become “magnetized” toward dogs. I realized that, by letting small children cuddle my good-natured dog, I was setting them up. The percentage of dogs which like being hugged is tiny, and you can’t expect a young child to differentiate when faced with another doggy. I see that with one of my cousins – she’s seven, and she’s been hugging and kissing my dog since she was a toddler. We tell her that she is only allowed to hug this one dog, but still – every time I have a new foster dog with me, she gets ready to greet this new dog like a friend. Not a good idea. I step in, but it’s become a habit, and it’s hard to break.
The blog is here, if you want to know more.