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“Bad, Bad, Dane!” Photo by Andrew Lightman.
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Dogs live solely in the moment – they don’t dwell on the past, hold a grudge or worry about tomorrow. But their perception of what is happening in the here and now can be incredibly acute. In particular, canines are excellent at reading us. For generations their very lives have depended on the ability to “read” humans, and that has left them with a very impressive ability to interpret body language and other non-verbal clues. This explains, to a large degree, why we love them so much.
Given the amount of effort (however unintentional) that dogs have put into understanding us over the millennia, don’t we owe it to them to start interpreting their behavior on their level, without the intervention of our peculiarly human preconceptions?
Our skills for interpreting canine thoughts and actions are usually not nearly as well honed as their skills for understanding us. Humans focus on anthropomorphizing dogs, and this can – and frequently does – lead to miscommunication between dogs and their guardians. You can see this any morning at Lincoln or Stanton parks. Or perhaps it may be happening closer to home.
As an example, we often see guilt on our dogs’ faces, but guilt is one of those human-contrived emotions dogs do not share with us (lucky them!). That “guilty look” you see on Fido’s face when you come home to find that he went through the trash looking for free samples is not guilt. He is, in fact, trying to appease you because he knows from your body language that you are upset. He cowers from you (which you may interpret as “acting guilty”) because he perceives from your subtle body language that you are angry, and he knows that your anger is a precursor to getting yelled at. Thus, he uses appeasement signals to mitigate your emotional outburst.
Though the dogs feel and perceive many things humans don’t give them credit for, they persist in living in the moment and so cannot feel guilty about spilling trash all over the kitchen. All they are likely to remember about the incident is just how much fun it was. Given the opportunity, they would do it again. (A great book on canine emotions is Patricia McConnell’s “For the Love of a Dog.”)
The most typical “doggie crimes” are sins of enthusiasm, and they are generally related to food acquisition. Canine evolution ensured that dogs that did not eat the food accessible to them did not live long enough to pass their genes on to the next generation. So our dogs are born foragers and hunters; things we consider garbage are highly palatable to them.
The best way to ensure Fido does not “steal” anything off the counter or pick through the trash is to keep anything he might find delectable out of his reach and provide him with toys that encourage “foraging” such as a Kong ™ or Busy Body Toy ™ filled with healthy food. You might also occasionally remind yourself that there are advantages to dogs eating just about anything: Don’t you love, for instance, that unlike human kids or partners, dogs never complain about the food you prepare for them?
Along with the “look at him, he’s guilty” myth, the “desire to please” fairytale has done many dogs a great disservice. Since dogs are an incredibly social species and love our company, many people mistakenly believe that dogs innately want to please us. This is not true. Dogs simply do what works for them.
When Fido plops his face in your lap while you enjoy a good read in your favorite chair, he’s not doing this to please you. He knows this behavior works to get you to pet him, or even invite him up on the best chair in the house. After all, being “cute” has worked in the past.
Acknowledging that he simply does this because it works will help you recognize that when your dog does something which you do not consider “cute” – like boring his eyes into you while you eat dinner – it has nothing to do with him being deliberately obnoxious; he’s just being a dog.
Since Fido does not know he is supposed to please you, he also does not automatically come when you call him. You have to train him that to do so is in his own best interest. Use treats, toys and whatever else he loves to greet him when he comes to you – your personal charm will not cut it.
As a dog trainer and behavior consultant, I frequently hear complaints such as “He knows better than to pee on my grandmother’s rug.” Dogs do not understand the concept of monetary value or sentimental attachment associated with our possessions, and unless Fido is properly housetrained, a Persian rug is as good a toilet as a patch of grass.
Dogs are marvelous companions precisely because they don’t judge us; they do not care about the size of our wallet, the car we drive, or whether we shop at Target or Saks. They accept us for who we are. Remember the saying “Live up to what your dog thinks you are?” Allow your dog to teach you to slow down and see the beauty in small things. Refrain from judging their behavior based on your human moral code. Think of how much Fido gives to you and don’t worry about a bit of trash on the kitchen floor. |
