Mother's Little Yelpers

I hate my mother’s dogs.

In fact, every “favorite” dog of hers has been my mortal enemy. She coddled and did everything wrong according to every training book. She’d pet the dog when it barked at strangers, let the dog sleep on the foot of her bed, picked up the pup and unexpectedly shove it into a stranger’s face…anything you can think of that produces an overly-dependent and jealous dog. To make matters worse, they stayed around for way too long – all living over 15 to 24 years.

My early endeavors into art.

From her dog’s POV, my mother was a gift from the heavens. We owned a Chinese restaurant, so everyone was well-fed, including the animals. She NEVER scolded them, never trained them to do anything, and always gave them 51% of her attention. Quite frankly, the dogs could do no wrong in her presence because they fixated on her.

The Prognosis…

During a recent visit to our family vet of over 15 years, he commended her dogs’ consistent health and longevity. He pointed out that though my mother never trained a single command, the dogs never felt any stress; thus, contributing to their over-extended welcome in my childhood.

But here’s my point: a healthy dog is not necessarily a well-behaved dog. Health and obedience are mutually exclusive. I have, however, noticed an extraordinary correlation between health and happiness for both the owner and dog.

Yet, when we watch agility competitions on TV, we’re compelled to say: “I wish my dog could do that!” Very seldom do we question the whole point of the competition. In four words: to sell dog food. Nothing wrong with selling dog food (heh, we sold Chinese food!) But it is what it is.

Do the dogs live longer? No. Do the dogs live an ordinary life? No. Do they even eat the brand of dog food that sponsors the competition? Not likely.

Grass Is Greener

The reality is that working dogs are professional athletes. They work harder and are more prone to sport-injuries. They spend the majority of their lives on the road. Most likely, their diets consist of raw meat, and food prizes are sold to the trainer’s clients to offset the cost of equipment. Dogs are usually kept apart from all other animals until retirement. I won’t even begin to describe the thankless life of a professional handler!

All this reminds me of rock stars who yearn for simpler times. If there’s a lesson to be learned from all my mom’s spoiled little mutts, it’s this: “Better to live like a king than a star!”

Mother's Little Yelpers

The Prognosis…

Grass Is Greener

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