Subscriber Archive
Do you have a great dog who is everything you’ve ever wanted in man’s or woman’s best friend – except for one really annoying problem? Some dogs wag when greeting their people, others may jump around and bark but your dog flops on her side and dribbles, and I don’t mean with a basketball. It can get worse – much worse. A submissive peer with a furry tail quickly creates modern splatter art by flinging yellow droplets onto the walls, your shoes, legs, and if you’re leaning over to pet the kid, maybe even on your face. Are we having fun yet? Oh you’ve tried everything but this odious habit only seems to worsen. Let’s start with a real dog and her flummoxed folks. Jack was a 2 year old female dog (I know, wrong name for a girl), a Heinz 57. This kid was as sweet as they come,…
Prior to JP’s stretch in animal control, where his new person Esther found him, this feline waif had already been through two homes. This good lady wanted to learn how she could give her new kitty the love he needed. He just wouldn’t let her touch him. Esther knew that being touched appropriately as a child would have brought her comfort and security. In some ways it can actually be easier to overcome our human challenges while caring for a wounded nonhuman.
Do you know anybody whose adult life could have been easier and a whole lot happier if they’d been treated better as a child? Not only do I know people like that, I’m one of them. In my work I’m fortunate to meet pets and humans with broken and battered pasts. We are not alone. Esther was a 70 year old single lady when she brought her shiny new 5 month old kitten JP to see me. Actually, I sort of made that up. This little guy was plenty good looking but his emotional state was rather tattered. Prior to his stretch in animal control where Esther found him this feline waif had already been through two homes. Like most cats in shelters his crimes had been behavioral. JP was known to be pushy and assertive in his play with other cats. It seemed that he had few friends in…
Dogs are man’s and woman’s best friends but there are differences. Unlike most of us they walk on all 4s and they’re somewhat hairier. But like us they’re genetically programmed to look after each other. My dog, Miss America is always on duty. When things go wrong in an animal’s brain it can be difficult to parse apart the details and figure out the cause. Fear is often involved in canine aggression. Anxiety, that waiting for the other shoe to drop can set a good dog up to fail. Effective treatment requires kindness. Pets are excellent models for exercising our kindness because they never grow tired of us and they’ll never leave. When we make mistakes they forgive and they give us a second chance. They won’t grind an axe and they won’t rat you out.
As Lily headed toward the bedroom she glanced at her cat as a way of getting a read on his mood. She loved Omar but he could be impetuous. At times he was a sweetheart but he could bite – hard. His history included violent reactions when his person brushed him.
I was just 8 years old when I made my first trip to the animal hospital with my new puppy. I felt inspired by the doctor who examined him. He was kind to me and my new dog. I was fascinated with his work and I was taken with his professionalism. I was hooked. Practicing veterinary medicine is all I’ve ever wanted to do. That childhood dog meant a lot to me but a couple of years later my parents got fed up with his indoor urine mistakes and he was taken to the shelter. Kindness had no place in the discussion. I missed that little guy but I stuck with my plan anyway. Pets aren’t for everybody but they can help bring out our best. I started learning to be a father before I even met my wife Carolyn, who would raise two sons with me. I’d been a…
Grooming or petting a cat can be dangerous. Watch for dilated pupils and rippling skin. Physical problems can underlie serious aggression.
As Lily headed toward the bedroom she glanced at her cat as a way of getting a read on his mood. She loved Omar but he could be impetuous. At times he was a sweetheart but he could bite – hard. His history included violent reactions when his person brushed him.
Lily had just finished putting away her groceries when she walked past Omar, her 2 year old Ragdoll cat. This good lady relied on her fuzzy house mate for more than she might readily admit. They lived alone together in a normal house on a normal street. She seldom went out; Omar never did. As Lily headed toward the bedroom she glanced at her cat as a way of getting a read on his mood. She loved Omar but he could be impetuous. At times his postures and demeanor signaled his discontent with an outdoor scent or sound. There was the occasional rippling of his skin. Maybe there was a person approaching the house or a feral creature in the yard. Often Lily couldn’t relate her expressive cat’s visage to anything in particular. Omar was a bit of a puzzle. Sometimes Lily checked in with Omar specifically because of his…