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anniejo · 10-10-2007, 11:34 AM

Hi y'all;

I just have to tell this story, it's true so help me.
While traveling somewhere years ago for some odd reason I started listening to a talk show on the radio.
The guest was a pet psychologistand folks could call in with questions. The first question he answered pertaining to dogs was asked by a gentleman who related that they had a female poodle, (small one) and she was such a doll all the time that she was a dream come true.

He told the psychologist his problem with ms dream doggie...he asked, why every time we leave her and go, say to the grocery store, not a long trip for sure, does she drag anything loose she can find pile it in the den by the end
of the fireplace, gets into any trash container left out, scattering the contents around, chews up the newspaper, or anything else like that she can find ,if we are gone long enough?

It appears that the pile of stuff she drags to the den are personal items of ours that she can find, such as flip flops, my jogging shorts, my wife's gown, etc, and upon examination nothing is chewed or torn up, but looks as if she got in the middle of the pile she created and pawed in there like she was roughing up our things. She is such a wonderful girl and we provide everything for her comfort before we leave, so I do not understand, why does she do this?

I've remembered his answer all these years. I think its so cool. The expert explained that our doggies consider themselves part of the "pack", (which is our family), because thats their instincs, so whenever the doggie sees you go out to "hunt", he's left at the den by himself, he's upset with his pack leaders(us) because he isn't allowed to go with his pack, in the case where your girl roughs up the personal items, she's conveying her displeasure with you.

He told the gentleman to get a crate her size, for her and her comfys and train her to stay in the crate anytime they went away.

He said I know you think that would be punishment, but it is the reverse, they feel "safe" in their "mini den" while alone. Our doggies, especially the smaller ones, feel overwhelmed in such a big open space and they become scared, so they "do" things to keep busy when they hear noises, such as the phone ringing and ringing, a branch scraping against a window, the doorbell ringing, and so forth, these things scare them. They "act" out their feelings about the pack leaving to hunt, and then finish up trying to ignore those scary sounds!

Cool, huh? Makes a lot of sense, remember when you were a child and alone in the house even just for a short time? Those scraps, creaks, and various "house noises", weren't you very relieved when someone showed up?

10-10-2007, 11:34 AM	#39
anniejo YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Gainesville, TX Posts: 4	A Funny but true and interesting story Hi y'all; I just have to tell this story, it's true so help me. While traveling somewhere years ago for some odd reason I started listening to a talk show on the radio. The guest was a pet psychologistand folks could call in with questions. The first question he answered pertaining to dogs was asked by a gentleman who related that they had a female poodle, (small one) and she was such a doll all the time that she was a dream come true. He told the psychologist his problem with ms dream doggie...he asked, why every time we leave her and go, say to the grocery store, not a long trip for sure, does she drag anything loose she can find pile it in the den by the end of the fireplace, gets into any trash container left out, scattering the contents around, chews up the newspaper, or anything else like that she can find ,if we are gone long enough? It appears that the pile of stuff she drags to the den are personal items of ours that she can find, such as flip flops, my jogging shorts, my wife's gown, etc, and upon examination nothing is chewed or torn up, but looks as if she got in the middle of the pile she created and pawed in there like she was roughing up our things. She is such a wonderful girl and we provide everything for her comfort before we leave, so I do not understand, why does she do this? I've remembered his answer all these years. I think its so cool. The expert explained that our doggies consider themselves part of the "pack", (which is our family), because thats their instincs, so whenever the doggie sees you go out to "hunt", he's left at the den by himself, he's upset with his pack leaders(us) because he isn't allowed to go with his pack, in the case where your girl roughs up the personal items, she's conveying her displeasure with you. He told the gentleman to get a crate her size, for her and her comfys and train her to stay in the crate anytime they went away. He said I know you think that would be punishment, but it is the reverse, they feel "safe" in their "mini den" while alone. Our doggies, especially the smaller ones, feel overwhelmed in such a big open space and they become scared, so they "do" things to keep busy when they hear noises, such as the phone ringing and ringing, a branch scraping against a window, the doorbell ringing, and so forth, these things scare them. They "act" out their feelings about the pack leaving to hunt, and then finish up trying to ignore those scary sounds! Cool, huh? Makes a lot of sense, remember when you were a child and alone in the house even just for a short time? Those scraps, creaks, and various "house noises", weren't you very relieved when someone showed up?