Enhancing dogs’ lives to let them be individuals
Have you ever studied your dog? No, seriously, have you ever spent time just watching how your dog interacts with the world?
Have you followed him (or her) around and noted how the dog spends its time?
That's just some of the advice that two scientists and authors, Dr. Jessica Pierce ( bioethicist) and Marc Bekoff (ethologist), give in their latest book, Unleashing Your Dog: A Field
Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible.
The book is a commonsense guide to deeply understanding not only dogs in general, but also how to get to know the unique habits and behaviors of your companion.
I had the opportunity to speak with Pierce and get her insights about the book and, as a bioethicist, her thoughts on the major themes.
What fascinated me was her take on the ethics of the human-dog relationship.
To start, the language we use is often confusing. Do we “own” dogs? Do we think of them as “little humans” or “part wolves” or as “toys?”
The facts are, according to Pierce, that dogs are domesticated animals with wild roots and are thus unique in the animal kingdom.
They coevolved over thousands of years with us to be our companions. The definition of “companion” is “a person or animal who one spends a lot of time with.” They evolved to be with us. (And maybe we evolved to be with them. Think about how attracted we are to those puppy faces.)
But in another sense, they are our captives. They are subject to the whims, assumptions and living environments of their humans.
The leash is a metaphor for how we treat our dogs. We use leashes to keep our dog safe and to exert some modicum of control so that a half-hour walk doesn't turn into an hourlong jaunt through every neighbor's yard and garden. Yet even though our intentions are positive, being on a leash constrains dogs’ natural behavior.
Even more to the point, our cultural and personal assumptions about how dogs should “act” also get in the way of dogs being dogs.
They are butt-sniffing, pee-smelling, barking, walk-loving, sleeping, scent driven, playing, need-to-be-with-you, smart and sometimes annoying animals.
On top of that, they are each individuals with specific likes, dislikes and behaviors (much like us).
Our three dogs are testament to this. Tank gobbles up everything in sight (or in smell). He is extremely motivated by food. Nellie ignores treats, and Maisie, our rescue dog, needs to be fed individually away from the other dogs. Each is quite different.
The core question of the book is, How can we enhance their lives and allow them to, as much as possible, be dogs and be individuals?
Therein lies the work of dog-human companionship. The first thing Pierce said is that being a companion for a dog is not for everyone. There are a lot of lifestyles that don’t have room for a dog.
Next, it is vital to try to understand the world as a dog does. How they perceive their surroundings is different than you and me.
For example, the primary sense for dogs is not sight, it's smell.
Imagine, Pierce said, how frustrating it must be for a dog on a walk when the human companion wants to “speed walk,” and the dog is inundated with a variety of amazing smells that beg to be investigated. This tug of war is no doubt repeated daily all over the country by well-meaning dog companions.
Perception-wise, a dog walk is quite different than a human walk. It is probably the best part of the day for dogs. It is not to be rushed; it is to be smelled and savored. It is a chance to meet other dogs and their owners, (although being on a leash can make the normal dog “meet and greet” difficult).
Unleashing Your Dog walks the reader through all the senses of dogs, and I came away with a much deeper appreciation of how different the dog's perception of the world is.
It made me want to be a better companion to our three and to work on understanding what they need as individuals. Not always an easy task, but one that is rewarding.
In sum, this is an essential book for companions of dogs, and especially for those considering inviting a dog into their lives.
Better to give this book for Christmas rather than giving someone a puppy. They will be much more enlightened companions for your thoughtfulness.