We have had a dog now for seventeen months. It is hard to reflect back to the first few days and weeks to remember the many things that I did not know about dogs until Sophie came into our lives. In fact, there are still things that I learn about dogs and Sophie specifically every day. Here are just a few of those things.
Dogs have personalities
Some say that dogs don't have personalities, that it is primarily the nature of the animal (dog) and secondarily the nature of the breed (Catahoula Leopard Dog) that determines how characteristics that could be categorized as personality come about. The fact that Sophie is a "people-person" dog, could be explained by breed. But it doesn't explain why she likes to be chased when playing with other dogs or will "arm" wrestle my feet when I wear fuzzy socks. It also doesn't explain why Sophie is dreadfully afraid of all things plastic: bags, plastic wrap, plastic backing for smoked salmon. Bring one of these things close to her and she will run to the other room, even if it still has yummy salmon pieces left on it.
When I play with Sophie with her stuffed toys and make the toy have mannerisms of another living creature, like cocking its head, walking or making it raise its eyebrows, Sophie will respond in kind and watch the toy, turning her head and raising her eyebrows. If it is convincing enough, she will give the toy her butt to sniff, which is universal for dog greeting, much like our shaking hands with strangers is to greet them.
Dogs want to please
Okay, of course I knew that dogs would do things for rewards, especially for food treats. I didn't quite realize how much even a stern voice or an expression of displeasure would cause Sophie to give me a spontaneous kiss with her snout to make it all better. Or if I grimaced at her, her eyebrows would go up and she might even whine sorrowfully. If she can guess at the source of displeasure, she might back up a step out of the kitchen where she is not supposed to be. If I say "ouch" when she bites me accidentally instead of the toy I am playing tug of war with, she will drop the toy and let me have it for a bit. Or, if it was a loud "ouch," she will kiss me with her snout and wait to see if it is okay to resume our play.
Don't judge a puppy like a dog
All bets are off when it comes to puppies. This applies to dogs at least under 12 months. This is the time when Sophie's attention was like the dog in the movie Up with the sight of "Squirrel." Her body goes where her attention goes, so having a tight grip on the leash was necessary. Her world view was whatever was twelve inches in front of her snout. She would jump or chase after leaves blowing across the lawn. Everything went into her mouth for her to "see" what it was - which is one of the first behaviors that must be changed to keep your dog alive. But, don't give up training during this time. Everything you do to train your puppy matters, over time. It just might not be evident quite as quickly as you would like.
Dogs are people, too
To have emotions seems to be uniquely human. Or is it, I wonder. At bed time, David will tell Sophie it is time to go to bed. Sophie will go to her bed and then wait for David to come over so that he can tuck her in. Once settled, David will cover her with her blanket (yes, she is a spoiled little girl). When we snuggle with her to kiss her goodnight, she sighs with pleasure. Sure, this could be our own emotions that I am mistaking for hers, but her little breath changes when we cuddle with her. It is much like the breath I let out when I bite into a good bar of chocolate, David's homemade baguettes or when I sink into a hot, sudsy bath. When we laugh, giggle and play around, Sophie gets it and responds, wanting to be a part of it. She will give us so many kisses that, well how could you not mistake her for being a person, too?
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