Who's it about ?
I believe that to be a good animal trainer (or owner, handler, caretaker, ...) we must ask ourselves: is it about the animal, or is it about me ?
It's human nature to require validation from other humans. Thus, we are all self-conscious, and worry about what others think of us. We have to be; otherwise, the sense of "right" or "wrong" has no bearing in human society.
However, when training animals, there are times we must set that aside for the benefit of the animal. We must not resort to cruelty and coercion to make the dog sit at all costs, to make the horse canter at all costs, just so we can satisfy a requirement in a show, or impress our friends.
Does this mean that from time to time we may end up with the proverbial egg on our faces ? Or look silly? Absolutely. But we must chalk it up to experience, and laugh (or write a blog) about it later. Don't get me wrong, there are times I wish I took up needlepoint instead. At these times, I remind myself: whatever my horse, or my dog, does under my tutelage - whether at home or at a show, whether correctly or not - he/she does to accommodate me. Now that's humbling.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It should always be about the animal; it is our responsibility to be fair, consistent, and loving in all of our dealings with our pets, regardless of the desired result (competitive show animal, friendly house pet). Of course, I am not a professional - my show horse was usually disqualified and my dog shares none of my opinions. However, I will toss out there how much training and living with animals relates to "training" and living with a small child. It's all about fairness, positive reinforcement, communicating any way you can, unconditional love ALL the time, and cookies. :)
ReplyDelete