27. The Many Expectations of Dogs
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It sometimes baffles me how much we expect of dogs living in a human world, and it surprises me, how well and how often dogs rise to the occasion.
The truth is that there aren't any other animals in the world that are as versatile in their service to humans as dogs. With that versatility comes a variety of expectations and responsibilities.
Dogs, protect our houses, our cars, our property and our families. They are our hunting buddies, ranch hands and rescue workers. Dogs are therapists, secret-keepers and emotional support. They catch criminals, watch our kids and star in our Tik Tok videos. Then, when if the dog in question does all of those things to the satisfaction of the people it serves, we put it together with another successful dog so that we can hopefully get similar service from its progeny.
It sometimes baffles me how much we expect of dogs living in a human world, and it surprises me, how well and how often dogs rise to the occasion. After all, why should be surprised when our expectations are met, if we have no idea how high those expectations really are? From my experiences with a reactive dog, human expectations are high.
It also seems like the humans who have never had a dog that struggles feel like they occupy some moral high ground over those of us, who are trying to support a dog that is more uncomfortable with what we're asking of them. It is often forgotten that dogs are simply dogs (as wonderful as they maybe). We are their guides in a world that we have designed, that they simply exist in. It's not uncommon for Target to flip out and for us both to be judged by some passersby. If it's possible before we slink away with our tails between our legs, some even stop to give us unsolicited advice. A person giving unsolicited advice is always somebody Target and I approach with skepticism.
I'm told fairly often by these self appointed experts, that Target's reactivity is my "fault" and that his insecurity comes from my deep, psychological fears that I'm unconsciously projecting onto my dog.
Go go Gadget Anthropomorphizing!
While it is apparent to anybody who knows us both that Target is very tuned in to my emotions, are you just as surprised by this theory as I am? Who KNEW that I am subconsciously terrified of the little pieces of tape that construction workers attach to the tops of traffic cones. Or, that I need my dog’s protection from my deaf dog loving Aunt, the helium balloons at the car dealership, or, the dreaded... umbrella! Jeez, it's hard to think about where Target and I would be without the sage advice of strangers...
Oh right, probably right where we are now. I think my friends and family (perhaps blog readers) find it funny how often I try and "figure Target out" with so little success. The man dressed in safety gear, a harness, a high vis jump suit, a hardhat with a light on the front, smoking a cigarette before he propels down the side of the dam at our local hiking spot, who I'm sure Target is going to take issue with, is safe to carry on with his work unopposed by Target's wrath. However, five seconds later, the teenager walking to school in his jeans and a t-shirt carrying his backpack? Well that kid is obviously up to no good and MUST be barked at and lunged towards with ferocity.
We can cruise seamlessly past the 80 ft tall King Kong inflatable prop outside the car dealership near our house, but two blocks after we've walked on there's an impassable A-frame sign that we're dealing with for more than 20 minutes.
Through these struggles, Target and I know a few things to be very true.
We never agree on what he's being reactive too. I find the giant gorilla much scarier than the A-Frame sign, I think the construction worker shouldn't smoke, and my Aunt is one of my favorite people. Further proof that no matter how well I know him, Target sees the world vastly different than I do.
We have perfected our walk of shame. On any normal day, Target realizes pretty quickly that he has reacted inappropriately. Especially, if he has done something that has scared somebody (loud barking, lunging). These days we tend to avoid dog parks and highly populated people while we work on Target’s issues, but there were some days we would have to walk quietly from the park and think about what we did.
The hardest thing to realize, that Target already knew was, that at the end of the day we're only working with what we've got and those are the expectations I have to have. My goals and expectations are unattainable unless I am being the right guide for my dog.
