Friday, January 30, 2009

I feel really bad....

...when I see people come in with dogs that are obviously so stressed and "high" that they cannot relax. I see them alot unfortunately...

They come in, the dog is so stressed, they are panting, shedding, gums pulled back etc etc. And what does the owner do? "Oh good boy, you are SOOOO excited!!" GOOD DOG GOOD DOG."

It makes my heart sink...I am very sad that the dog believes this is the best way to get attention--and they are so right in that thought. And all the anxiety that dogs have to deal with because of people's lack of knowledge. Can you tell them what they are doing is wrong? No...not most. If they train with me...they WILL hear it...but in the other situation of my job I have to just smile, as the customer is always right.

These same dogs are normally overweight, not exercised much and are "their owners babies"...

They don't want to be babies...they want to be dogs, run through mud, eat god knows what, roll in some pooh every now and then. Not be someone's emotional pillow...

I wish people could see what they are doing to their dogs...there are many dogs that act TOTALLY different once their owners are removed from the picture. As if they are going " OH THANK GOD....they are gone!"...the neediness, the anxiety is all gone. And they are dogs while they are with me...

Many don't want to go back home to all that emotion...and what breaks my heart is when given the chance to reunite with their owners...they sit at my side...it is hard sending them home sometimes. Part of the job I guess.

Please treat your dogs like dogs, let them get dirty, go out side (yes even if it is COLD or HOT) let them play---the are the most joyous of animals and seeing them being a dog is a wonderful thing :) Rolling in the grass, or snow (grin)----zoomies, growls, showing teeth in play..drooling etc. These are all the things that make them so wonderful.

6 comments:

manymuddypaws said...

i work at a dog daycare. i see a lot of that. drives me.

D said...

I groom a Standard Poodle who when he is with his owner, is completely terrified, won't let me touch him. I have the owner hand me the leash and we walk away. When we pass the 1st door, he is instantly relaxed, you can almost hear him sigh...what a relief to not have to act that way, this person EXPECTS something of me, I know what to do. When it's time to hand him over after his groom, when the leash passes to her, he turns into the nervous wreck again. The saddest part is that the owner is always anxious to hear how "bad" he was for me, always asking if he tried to bite me. She is almost irked that I continue to tell her he is perfectly behaved for me. It's like people think their dogs won't need them if they dont' fawn all over them and worry over every little thing. So Sad,

Oh...I will try to let my dogs get dirty...I really will, but...it's easy for you to say!

THE Princess Diaries said...

i understand.....i see those dogs as well:)) i know it is sad when they come to pick them up and they look at you like PLEASE I BEG YOU DON'T SEND ME WITH THEM!!!!!! Not always something the owners want to see!!!

Hillcrest Border Collies said...

OMG, I get these dogs quite a bit here for boarding. Fee Fee or Foo Foo are out of control and home and are "aggressive" wit other dogs. When they are here for their stay they are running with 8 to 10 other dogs that are socially stable and the dog has ABSOLUTELY not problem here. I have one dog (BC) that comes in and is usually on prozac etc. When it is here it is so calm, loves her crate, loves outside with the dogs and is calm and tired at the end of the day. So calm that we don't need NO STINKIN' Prozac.
I wish people would not humanize dogs. For heavan's sake they are DOGS. I love my dogs, but they are dogs, not humans.
Ohhhhh I could go on and on and on about this, but I will stop now.

Hillcrest Border Collies said...

OK, so maybe I can't type tonight. I think I was so enraged about this that I was just typing and not proofing what I typed. Sorry about the typos.

Loretta Mueller said...

Thanks guys...just saw a very sad case yesterday and it was just very troubling for me.

It is hard seeing a dog so different when they are allowed to be dogs...they really come out of their shells...

I wish people could see it...sometimes I wish people would have to take a test before getting a dog...in a perfect world I guess.