It is almost uncommon to find dog households with only one dog. When I grew up, no one had more than one dog. The love, indeed, has become a delight for so many of us! I know for me that when I lose one, I am so grateful to have another one at home to soothe my broken heart.
I have a very strong opinion about dogs that mouth people, even if it is in play or because of youth. Imagine yourself visiting my house. You come in and my 95-pound BIG German Shepherd, Brinx decides to put his mouth on your arm! Most people would absolutely be terrified!
Recently, I was working with a young puppy in town. We were practicing friendly greetings with people with no jumping. Along came two HUGE male dogs at least twice the size of the puppy. They were off leash but with electronic collars so I assume the owner of the two huge dogs felt he had control of them. The two huge dogs surrounded the puppy, sniffing and putting their heads over the pup’s shoulder. The puppy, clearly terrified and unsure what to do, tried to back away and hide. The two huge dogs did not bite, growl or sneer at the puppy, but clearly terrified the pup. I asked the owner to please call his dogs. The owners seemed insulted that I would ask. I tried to explain that the puppy was clearly not having fun.
When I was a kid, it was extremely rare to see homes with more than one dog. In fact, we were the only people in the neighborhood to have a dog! Now, it is common place to have at least two dogs if not more. I have been living with multiple dogs for 25 years. We learn a lot about dog behavior if we keep our eyes open and look through a dog’s eyes instead of our human eyes.
AFTER AN EXTENDED MEDICAL LEAVE, I WILL BE RETURNING TO WORK MARCH 1st!
