66. Puppies without TrustFor those of
you who have just acquired a new puppy or are considering doing so, I would like to
discuss one of the biggest causes of behavioral problems in pets.
I believe each young animal, at an early stage in its life, begins to develop a concept
called "person permanence." In other words, it begins to believe that even
though someone is gone and out of sight, that person will come back. It develops trust!
If, during the first months of its life with humans, an animal is discarded and
shuffled from owner to owner, home to home, it begins to believe that people cannot be
trusted to come back! Sometimes they are taken not to another home, but to a strange place
where they are put into a cage. Is it any wonder that later in life this dog panics every
time its owner leaves? Each time the animal is discarded, it trusts people increasingly
less, until finally it may never be able to believe again. Each time its owners leave, it
will believe they are leaving forever. Each time it is boarded or taken to the vet or left
with the groomer, it believes it will never see its owner again.
If you’ve ever been discarded by someone you trusted and loved, remember how it
made you feel and have pity on your pet. Consider these things the next time you think of
discarding an animal. Think about the damage you are doing.
Problems caused by a lack of
trust:
- Destructive behavior when owner leaves (scratching on walls, chewing, etc.)
- Trying to break out (fence jumping, digging out, etc.)
- Trying to break in (breaking screens, windows, etc.)
- Going to the bathroom in the house
- Barking and crying when owner leaves
If you get a dog from a shelter, there is a big possibility it will suffer from
"separation anxiety." Knowing this, you should experiment with leaving the dog
for short periods of time to find out its reaction to being alone. Confine the dog in an
area where it cannot injure itself. A crate is really the safest place until you can trust
the dog not to panic and damage itself or your home.
