Pack Leader

Most recently there was Mac the Beagle, then Cocoa’s 1 & 2, there was Luke and before him was Sampson the Cocker Spaniel who was hit by car and didn’t survive his injuries. One thing I learned about having Cocker Spaniels is that if they get out of the yard for any reason, the likelihood of them being returned is slim. Sigh.

Then there was the brief sharing of our home with cats. Never again; we are not cat people.

Finally there was Muffin, the Australian shepherd our very first dog.

What I know now that I didn’t fully know or embrace then is that every dog needs a pack leader. I’ve watched a few episodes of Ceasar Milan’s the Dog Whisperer and can see where I made some mistakes; especially with the Cocker Spaniels. They need a strong pack leader.

Dogs without a pack leader will assume the position and this usually causes havoc in many homes across America. Dogs have become more than pets, they have become family members and I can see how this can create a problem if the dog learns that they are in charge.

Dogs learn by repetition; cause and response. Unfortunately a lot of the unwanted behaviors our dogs exhibit are behaviors we teach them or were learned from a previous owner.

So my husband is convinced that Jesus is going to bring him a Labrador on His birthday…December 25. You have to know my husband to appreciate the humor here and yes we know Jesus was not born in December. This is code for I think I’m ready for a new dog. It’s been eight months since Mac the Beagle passed away and we may finally be making the move to add another four-legged family member.

But this time, thanks to Mr. Milan I know what to do.

I know I can’t make a dog a human.

I know I can’t ascribe human emotions to a dog.

I know we must declare a pack leader and it can’t be the dog.

I know dogs need jobs.

I know dogs can add happiness and companionship to an existing “pack.” (Lots of research on benefit of therapy dogs.)

We’re going to pick wisely; some breeds rank higher when it comes to intelligence and I think we’re definitely headed that route. I’m still hesitant about a big dog in the house.

We’ll just see if Jesus drops off that Labrador come Christmas morning.