Читать книгу The Practical Dog Listener: The 30-Day Path to a Lifelong Understanding of Your Dog - Jan Fennell - Страница 12

‘There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog.’

Konrad Lorenz

It is no surprise to me that dogs have for centuries remained the inspiration for words like these. The love, loyalty and companionship that a dog can bring into our lives are unique. And, in theory, they are pleasures that everyone should have the right to enjoy. I write ‘in theory’ because I do not, in all honesty, believe it is a right that should be granted automatically. It is a sad fact of life that there are people who take dogs into their home for all the wrong reasons. The animal sanctuaries and dogs’ homes of the world are filled with the unhappy results of their rash and unthinking behaviour.

It has become a cliche to say that a dog is not for Christmas, it is for life. But it remains true nevertheless. A dog brings with it a set of responsibilities. And no one should take on the task of introducing a dog into their home without weighing up whether they are ready, willing and able to live up to these responsibilities.

There have probably been thousands of books written on the pros and cons of taking on a dog. I do not intend to contribute another one. Having said that, I do have some opinions on the matter. Anyone who is only getting a dog for their children to play with should not get a dog. Dogs and young people can forge the most beautiful relationships of all – but only if the child is taught to respect the dog: they are not toys. Anyone who is getting a dog solely for the purpose of guarding their homes should not get a dog: this is not fair. Anyone who intends getting a dog and then leaving it at home all day should think again, or should make appropriate arrangements for a friend or professional walker to take it out. The dog is a social animal and, if it is cut off from other beings for eight to twelve hours, this is not good for it.

I also believe that all owners must prepare themselves for the reality of dog ownership. It is the easiest job in the world when the dog is a lovable ball of fluff and affection, but what about when it falls ill or misbehaves, fouls the living-room carpet or growls at visitors? And what about heading out into the outside world? Are you prepared to head out on cold, inhospitable winter mornings to walk the dog? Are you willing to become a fully paid-up member of the plastic-bag brigade and clean up after your dog in public? And what about the time it falls ill and you face the potentially astronomical vet’s bills?

Of course, good owners – rather like good parents – think about a lot of these things instinctively. But I would ask even these genuine dog lovers to do a little soul-searching before committing themselves to using my method. It is one thing to understand the challenges of my approach from the human point of view, but what about thinking about this from the dog’s perspective? Dogs are living, breathing creatures with needs and feelings of their own. No one would welcome a deaf person into their family without accepting in advance that they would need to learn some form of sign language. It is no different with a dog. So, for this reason, I would ask you to consider the following:

 Are you prepared to go into this with an open mind?

 Are you willing to forget and discard all other ‘training’ methods?

 Are you prepared to accept the dog’s welfare is paramount?

 Are you prepared to work hard and make the sacrifices necessary to understand a language that may prove elusive and confusing at times?

 Are you prepared to give the time the dog needs, especially during the early stages when patience and perseverance are of primary importance?

 Has the whole family discussed what is going to be required?

 If you already own dogs, are you prepared to go through the necessary retraining they will need as well?

These are all tough questions. I make no apologies for posing them, however. I much prefer that people understand their dogs before they learn to love them. I would rather they begin knowing that sacrifices and hard work will be required. Yet, if my years of experience have taught me anything, it is that the effort is far, far outweighed by the rewards that come from having a happy, well-adjusted and relaxed dog.