|
Send
this page to a friend
How to Create Your Own Monster -- are you Spoiling your Pet?
by: Carolyn Schweitzer
"You've created your own monster, you know", my mother
said ominously. My Rex cat, Houdini, had just burrowed his way inside
my sweater for the third time that morning, letting out a squeal
of indignation when I tried to resist.
Houdini has separation anxiety. But in his tiny little mind, separation
means I've been out of his site for at least two minutes. Or I've
closed the bathroom door and left him on the other side. Or he hasn't
had his ears scratched or his belly rubbed in eons (about ten minutes.)
Houdini follows me everywhere, like the most faithful of hounds,
and craves my undivided attention almost as much as his next meal.
If all of this seems annoying, it's not nearly as bad as when the
little fellow plunks himself down in front of me and literally tears
chunks of his own hair out because I'm not paying attention to him.
With Houdini, it's always been easier just to give in.
My husband takes all of this in stride. My mother, who (fortunately
for Houdini) only visits now and then, thinks it's the height of
absurdity.
Growing up under Mom's roof, I learned that dogs and children should
obey, and cats just mind their own business. I adopted my mother's
dog training philosophies successfully. Cleo (a fine-looking mastiff
and our now-famous website mascot), is a perfect lady. She's a wonderful
dog with the gift of self composure and not one to question authority.
Cleo would never stoop to the kind of antics that are Houdini's
specialty. Besides, she's too big to crawl inside my sweater.
So why does this particular pet behave like a spoiled child? Why
do I give in to him? Is it because I forgot to have children? Mom
swears that those little squealing sounds he makes don't come from
a cat. "He's manipulating you", she tells me. "He's
learned how to sound like a baby".
Maybe I've got what I like to call "lap dog syndrome".
I'm referring how we treat smaller pets who are easily cuddled and
coddled, are highly portable, and who look adorable wearing funny
little outfits. Some might call it "empty nest syndrome".
Consider my Grandmother Rosie and her Toy Poodle, Cocoa.
Cocoa arrived long after Rosie's children had grown up and left
home. Rosie knitted lots of little sweaters and hats for Cocoa to
keep him warm and stylish. She kept a mixture of Coke Syrup and
Pepto Bismol on hand to settle Cocoa's nervous stomach. And dog
food could never pass his lips, so Grandma cooked fresh chicken
for Cocoa every night before sitting down to her own dinner.
We had to spell out "c-o-o-k-i-e" and "P-e-p-t-o
B-i-s-m-o-l" around the dog so he wouldn't get over-excited.
And Grandpa Henry was obsessed with keeping Cocoa clean. This was
one poodle who never had tear stains under his eyes, and whose little
"tushy" was spotless.
Bear in mind that we're talking about the late 60's, when treating
pets like children wasn't really "mainstream".
Today, it's commonplace. The pet industry is huge, and much of
it caters to our desire to spoil our "children". So these
days it's easier than ever to create your own monster. Besides bending
to your dog's every whim, you can shower her with gourmet treats,
dress her to the nines, and offer her a standard of living well
above what many of the world's humans aspire to.
Today, Grandma wouldn't have to knit any sweaters herself, and
there would be plenty of remedies made expressly for Cocoa's nervous
tummy. Grandma wouldn't board her baby when traveling. Instead,
she'd hire a professional pet sitter, or take Cocoa with her to
a pet friendly hotel. The hotel might even have a dog gift shop,
with lots of squeaky toys and delicious "c-o-o-k-i-e-s".
And Cocoa would go everywhere with Grandma in his own little dog-sized
carrying case, probably made from fine imported leather or snakeskin.
I wonder how many owners of large breeds behave this way? Are there
other syndromes out there, like "macho dog syndrome" (a
guy thing, no doubt)?
The truth is, all pets start out small and cuddly. No one is completely
safe from creating their own monster, large or small. So thank goodness
there are enough great resources available for anyone to become
a virtual dog training expert. (Or cat, or parrot, or horse...)
I've learned my lesson with Houdini: It's much easier to teach
your pet the rules from the start. Puppy training is easier than
dog training. And un-creating a monster is a heck of a lot tougher
than creating one!
But I'm weak. For now, it's easier just to give in. And besides,
it time to rub Houdini's belly...
About The Author
© 2005, Carolyn Schweitzer. Lifelong dog-lover, power-shopper,
and former family dentist Carolyn Schweitzer is owner and editor
of http://www.great-dog-gift.com/.
View the html version of this article (with cute photos) at http://www.great-dog-gift.com/monster.
The site offers a wide range of choices for dog gift shoppers, plus
shopping and gift-giving tips.
netbrainer@verizon.net
|
