WHEN TO CALL IN A BEHAVIOURIST
bY kATHY Clayton - abc of sa
I received a call today from a lady who was very angry. “My dog has chewed my couch and I’ve had enough - what can you do about it?” After some questions I found out that the dog was 8 months, she thought a Border Collie cross, she doesn’t take it for walks, has done no training and works long hours. Was I surprised that the dog was chewing the couch, no, was she really interested in putting some effort into solving the problem, no? All she wanted was for me to tell her what to do over the phone and sort it out, immediately.
Earlier in the day, I was at a house where the female Boerboel was showing aggression and had nipped the Au Pair on her bottom. I sat for two hours with the whole family and everyone was prepared to do their bit in order to get this problem sorted out. I have no doubt that things will turn around in this household, and sadly I think that the Border Collie cross will probably be rehomed - lady was not prepared to pay for a consultation, or to take it for walks or do any training. My heart goes out to the dog.
So, why have I rambled on about these two dogs? Well, one family was prepared to do what it takes to solve the problem, the other lady was only wanting a quick fix over the phone. I, as a behaviourist was phoned by both as this is what my job entails - solving behavioural problems.
I am often asked why behaviourists are needed in our lives today, as there were no such people twenty to thirty years ago. I have thought about this and thinking back to when I was young, we lived completely different lives then. Most houses only had a fence around, or no fence at all. I remember our Boxer jumping over the fence and going walking down the street to socialize with all the other dogs in the area. We did not live behind high walls, electric fences and with security guards around. Dogs did their own socializing, and were lucky enough to have members of the family around - many mothers stayed at home, children were not taken from one afternoon activity to another and only arriving home late. The family dog was just that - a family dog, interacting with everyone in the family.
These days, people lead stressful lives trying to make ends meet. The dogs are usually just left to get on with their lives, or looked after by the maid or gardener; or on the other end of the scale are totally over indulged by owners who feel guilty. This is the reason why behaviourists are necessary these days.
What is a behaviourist? To me, this is a person who has a special interest in animals, and animal behaviour. They should have extensive knowledge of the animal that they specialise in, and have worked with these animals.
Earlier in the day, I was at a house where the female Boerboel was showing aggression and had nipped the Au Pair on her bottom. I sat for two hours with the whole family and everyone was prepared to do their bit in order to get this problem sorted out. I have no doubt that things will turn around in this household, and sadly I think that the Border Collie cross will probably be rehomed - lady was not prepared to pay for a consultation, or to take it for walks or do any training. My heart goes out to the dog.
So, why have I rambled on about these two dogs? Well, one family was prepared to do what it takes to solve the problem, the other lady was only wanting a quick fix over the phone. I, as a behaviourist was phoned by both as this is what my job entails - solving behavioural problems.
I am often asked why behaviourists are needed in our lives today, as there were no such people twenty to thirty years ago. I have thought about this and thinking back to when I was young, we lived completely different lives then. Most houses only had a fence around, or no fence at all. I remember our Boxer jumping over the fence and going walking down the street to socialize with all the other dogs in the area. We did not live behind high walls, electric fences and with security guards around. Dogs did their own socializing, and were lucky enough to have members of the family around - many mothers stayed at home, children were not taken from one afternoon activity to another and only arriving home late. The family dog was just that - a family dog, interacting with everyone in the family.
These days, people lead stressful lives trying to make ends meet. The dogs are usually just left to get on with their lives, or looked after by the maid or gardener; or on the other end of the scale are totally over indulged by owners who feel guilty. This is the reason why behaviourists are necessary these days.
What is a behaviourist? To me, this is a person who has a special interest in animals, and animal behaviour. They should have extensive knowledge of the animal that they specialise in, and have worked with these animals.
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