People often like the idea of a dog, but not the reality of a dog. When someone gets a dog, whether it is a freebee or an expensive import, the person dreams expectations as to what that dog will be. The dream is what the human wants, not what the dog actually has the capability to be. That is totally unfair, and I admit, I am guilty. In reality, the dog’s DNA, personality, training and life experiences will dictate what the dog will become, not the human’s dream.
When I brought baby Truman into my home, I dreamed he would become a wonderful therapy dog, and a great companion. It was part luck, and part hard work on my part to have that part of my dream fulfilled. Like in any relationship, there are struggles. Truman is a dog and he does what dogs do. Today, I looked out the window and he was eating horse poop. He’s a dog with dog values.
Dogs dig, dogs bark, dogs chew. As puppies, although adorable, they are horrible. They pee, poop, don’t listen and do a lot of irritating stuff. As adults they have the reasoning capabilities and maturity close to a two or three year old human. They need supervision and family.
If you want to have a dog as a companion, remember that your companion is a dog. Don’t expect a dog to be an automaton who does nothing but what you wish, and don’t expect your dog to act like a human.
When Truman is in public and is expected to behave according to human terms, sometimes he lapses into his dog brain. He does things like sniff human’s privates, a very polite thing to do in the doggie world. My corrective words are gentle and help people understand what he is doing, and relieves their (and my) embarrassment. I say to Truman, “Don’t act like a dog.”
Truman Blue Mysteries 