Instinct and Protection

I used to think my dog was afraid of other dogs, but recently it occurred to me that he is simply choosy about who he associates with. He has made a very simple choice to interact with those who have like values as him. He knows who he is and what his purpose is in life, and his actions and who he associates with reflect that purpose. Jake learned long ago that the dog world consists of a hierarchy of personalities. There is always the leader of the pack and then there are those who remain submissive and do as they are told. Should they deviate from this plan, they are put in their place with verbal and sometimes physical consequences.

If smart, a submissive dog will never allow herself to become entrenched in the abusive state harm. S/he will back down at the first message communicated via a growl or stare. S/he will intuitively know where her place is in relation to her leader and the rest of the pack, and s/he will not question where s/he stands.

Due to progress and the dog’s adaptation into the people world, we have created a culture whereby we protect our pets. They are not allowed to wander the streets in packs or find their food on their own. We walk them on a leash and feed them their kibble in a fancy bowl. We allow them to befriend other dogs as they walk by or we defend them against other canine passersby who become aggressive. In a loving home, they come back to a sanctuary complete with a cozy bed and human companionship. They are bathed and brushed and pet until they fall asleep.

At the cottage that we visited a few weeks ago, we found ourselves in a bit of an awkward position. The neighbouring cottage owners had a dog called Woodley that wandered freely and took a liking to our dog, Jake. He was not aggressive and was, in fact, very friendly. He was only a year old, was extremely obedient and very, very cute....... until he decided to do the dastardly deed......I won’t describe the deed, it was simply “the deed”, and the way Jake stood there and looked at me, I knew that he was not impressed. Unfortunately, because Jake does not voice his opinion, I helped him out by shooing the puppy away....over, and over again.

My family laughed and told me to let “nature take its course” but, I could not allow my dog to be taken advantage of. Soon, I was the brunt of a joke as I repeatedly stood between my dog, the victim and the other dog, the abuser. This became a big game throughout the entire week and a source of frustration to me as I knew that Woodley was simply doing what dogs do. It occurred to me that in my pack I am the protector.

I am the she dog who will go to any lengths to ensure that my pups are safe and comfortable. I will protect them and teach them how to protect themselves. The problem with Jake is that he is now old and not so teachable anymore. He has become dependent on me and his instinct is to look to me for his comfort. I don’t know at what point in his life this shifted because I know that I did not cater to his anxiety initially. As with my children, I tried to raise a confident sociable puppy. However, somewhere along the line I succumbed to his inability to tolerate the company of other dogs. And I allowed him to just “be” where he was comfortable. Perhaps, this is the message to how we should be with our children. Maybe we just need to provide them with security while still allowing them to be who they are. No pressure to be like someone else or endure situations that they feel uncomfortable in. Maybe we can learn a little from our canine friends as they move through life guided by their instinct along with the protection of those who love them.