Life is Earned

There are a lot of people who insist dogs don’t feel things like self-esteem. I disagree. The PIB “Life is Earned” tells dogs that they must work for their right to be part of a pack. They must contribute to the day-to-day survival of the group in order to earn a share of the food and protection obtained by being in a pack. Their methods of contributing are instinctive knowledge and how well and eagerly they perform those tasks determines the pack leaders willingness to support their status.

Those tasks are the first things that disappear in a human domestic environment. Participating in the hunt and patrolling and defending the pack’s territory are the two major contributions of pack members in the wild. Teaching and protecting the litter are others. When we take these instinctive tasks away by bringing a dog into our homes and replace them with nothing, dogs often become stressed and confused. How do they earn their status? How do they contribute to the well being of the group? Why do they have the right to be with group? In order for a dog to feel comfortable and secure in a human home, we should find some way to answer these questions.

Dog trainers and others have recommended sit-down-stay training for years, and for some reason most dog owners aren’t interested. The best reason to engage in these activities is so the dog can feel it is performing tasks that are required in a human environment and thus earn its keep. I use short training sessions each time my dog gets fed (twice a day), each time she gets a treat and each time we go for a walk. On the walk she carries a back pack with twenty percent of her body weight as a load. Besides the fact that these techniques help convince her I’m the boss, she also earns her way in her own mind. She’s a very happy dog (and well behaved)!

One of the cases I worked on in Albuquerque was a very dog aggressive Husky that everyone (vets and adoption groups) suggested should be put down. I evaluated him as being aggressive to protect himself because of low self-esteem. I recommended a vigorous daily task he could believe was a job. The foster got a pulling harness and had him drag an old tire around her yard every day. A couple of months later I met this dog at a dog park and he was peacefully socializing with other dogs.

Dogs have a very serious work ethic and some effort on our part to provide for this need will always help our canine companions. They aren’t rocket scientists, so any activity done daily can be perceived by them as necessary for the well being of a human pack, even if we typically call it fun. Fetch the ball or Frisbee, if done daily and consistently can be seen by a dog as a necessary contribution to the well being of the pack.