The Beginning: background, intro, philosophy

As an applied animal behaviorist, I have often been called on to solve problems for people and their animals, mainly dogs and in particular dogs as pets rather than as working animals.

 I hold a Ph.D. in Ethology and Psychology, have treated hundreds of cases, did research and taught for many years in the areas of animal learning, emotional reactivity and the neurological bases of behavior. I also pioneered certification procedures in Applied Animal Behavior through the Animal Behavior Society. Now I still see the occasional case and do some forensic consulting, but most of the time just write and go fishing when I can.

How it all started:

Back in 1980 I went to visit a veterinarian friend at his office where I found him talking to a client about euthanizing her young bulldog because it was biting. It was a very sad and painful situation: my friend knew that it had to be done and the client was inconsolable. Since I was a psychologist and a good friend he asked if I could stay while they talked about the impending procedure. I listened and lightly played with the dog. The dog was spunky and goofy, and of course he had no idea that they were discussing his death- but I did and my feelings were not pretty. The owner was one of those people who radiated warmth and caring: my heart went out to them all.

 While listening it occurred to me that with all the scientific knowledge we have accumulated on Animal Behavior in the last 100 years, certainly there should be something that I could do, so very tentatively I interrupted and asked them a few questions. I wanted to know when the biting took place, the situation that triggered it, what was going on just before the bite, how they lived together and so on; just standard questions that are asked in a clinical setting.

The answers created a base for me to think about the mechanisms of the problem, its development, the social context, possible internal brain processes, neural mechanisms and what the dog’s motivation might be for biting. This led me to think of a few things that I could possibly do if my theories were correct. I thought the dog was just too confident and self-improtant so I asked them to postpone the euthanasia for a few days, and to control resources such as food, play, access to toys and his freedom in an attempt to make him more dependent and therefore submissive to the owner. I also prescribed some contingency training (giving the dog a “job” to do in order to earn these rewards).

Now the conversation shifted and took a different direction; the mood was elevated as I was offering some degree of hope. I told the owner to keep track by producing a daily record of what she observed, what she felt, and so on. We tweaked the procedures as we went along based on the reports that the dog owner gave me. The story had a happy ending, things improved dramatically within days, the biting stopped and the dog lived!

This was very heavy for me, I had saved a dog that I liked, and made someone very happy. I was so gratified with this experience that it marked the path of my professional calling. I engaged in this practice actively for over 30 years. Of course, not all cases were so idyllic. Yes, I have been bitten many times, had to regretfully conclude in certain cases that the dog be euthanized and had very sad and scary times, but overall my choice has given me so much and has to a great extent made me the person I am today and enriched me beyond measure. This blog is the reflection of that story as I have lived it.

The Blog:  Reflections on Humans and Animals Living in Harmony     

I started this blog because clients, referring veterinarians, and friends have asked me to share some of my impressions and accumulated knowledge from my thirty years of practice. When I first set out to be a “dog shrink” by applying principles in Animal Behavior and Psychology, I said “no problem, this should be easy, just plug in scientific information, go through procedures and report data and go for it”. Well, that didn’t work out for me. It was just too mechanical and left out the most important component which was the personal and most intimate feelings that reveal themselves to me on a daily basis.

I began to realize that people not only want to solve problems but that there is a deeper more pressing reason: they want to be happy and enjoy the relationship with their pets in a more profound way; they do not just want to get rid of pet hassles.  This realization came slowly. As I worked as an applied scientist and observed the changes in not only the dogs but in the people themselves, it slowly dawned on me that the people also change, that their dogs became their teachers, revealing to them how much richer their lives can be.

 I realized that our relationship with our pets, when harmonious and loving, allows us to unfold as more enlightened human beings:  we grow. Living in harmony with your dog also means that you begin to live in harmony with yourself. Establishing the relationship we want with our pets, and in particular our dogs, is as much about ourselves as it is about them. This will be our emphasis.

Let us consider the big picture: as pets these dogs live in the home with all its complexities of available space, children of various ages, often other dogs in the home, other family members, comings and goings, etc. The dog has to figure out how to survive in this complexity and of course the humans have to adapt as well. How they do this, how they all interact can be seen as an interconnecting matrix. If this matrix is a harmonious one then all involved live happily enjoying each other’s company and enriching each other’s lives. The dogs wag their tails, smile [yes, dogs do smile] the owners are happy to have the company of their dog and if asked how they like living with the dog, the response is usually “I love it, I love this dog so much that he is like a loving family member to me” and that is what it is all about.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Having the dog in the house very often present problems, extra problems, problems that people initially think are not necessary because, after all, they can get rid of the animal and that’s that. But there is this other element to it, in spite of it all, they love and care for that animal and the decision to simply get rid of the problem pet is in most cases not really an option they wish to choose. This is where I have come in, to figure out initially why the people are unhappy with their dog, not why the dog is unhappy, and try to sort through their history, the nature and expectations of the owners and the specific characteristics of the animal, the characteristics of the environment and put it all together so that the people can be happy with their dog. So the formula goes that if the people are happy or at least satisfied, my job is done, and at the beginning I thought that was all there is to it. Well, it doesn’t really work that way.

I have learned throughout the years that if the dog is not happy also, sooner or later, no matter how much control we exert on the situation, things are going to fall apart. In this case, we can see that behavioral control simply means inhibiting or blocking whatever the dog does that irritates us and like any blockage sooner or later the barrier is going to come down and crash on everyone in a massive avalanche of bad behaviors and often dangerous results. So ultimately my job is to make sure that the lives of all involved run smoothly with few hitches; if hitches arise a simple rethinking and manipulation is in order so as to get back to a normal and happy flow.

This flow is a matrix of changing and interacting factors, what scientists call variables. This matrix is never static and behavioral science, when applied wisely helps establish and maintain this harmonious flow as in a dance when just knowing the steps is not enough, maintaining the rhythm between the partners is essential.

In future posts, I will present case histories and try to relate the details of how we thought about them and how we attempted to create harmony with ourselves and our pets. I will also consider the ways in which observing animals and our relationships with them can be self-illuminating and trigger personal growth: it can be a window through which to look inward and gain better awareness of ourselves. My hope is that via this blog I can help the readers- by sharing what I am learning- attain their own harmony and deeper understanding of how rich and rewarding their lives can be through their relation with their beloved pets.

I, of course, also hope that this blog will be as interactive as possible. It is reasonable to think that through conversation and dialogue, not just monologue, that communication occurs. Thus all readers are invited to submit questions, offer comments and perspectives from their own lives and experiences that they care to share with the rest of us. You are also invited to contact me personally at humananimalharmony@gmail.com 

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