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Dear Zelda, Are you aware of something called the "Napoleon complex"? I've heard the term used to describe how small men compensate for their size with aggressive behavior, and some people have even applied it to me. But I don't know how it can apply to a miniature poodle. So here's the problem: For reasons I no longer remember, the next- door neighbor made me snap -- literally. I gave her a taste of my canines that turned her finger black and blue. It seemed like a small matter at the time. But now I sense a chill between us, and my mom puts me inside whenever she hears our neighbor's grandchildren playing next door. What's up with that? Does one little bite mean the end of a relationship? Yours truly, Wolfie (a.k.a. Wolfgang Amadeus) Dear Napoleon...ooops....I mean Wolfie, I'm not going to address your size or your breed, but I would like to address your bite. It's my opinion that biting is bad business and isn't an acceptable social behavior for any canine. I'd like to suggest that you try a little reverse psychology. Make your bark worse than your bite. It's hard to ignore a bite, but a bark can just fall into the ‘annoying’ category. As dogs, our lives are tough because we can't talk. We have to communicate with our actions, be it barking, biting, or by the sad-dog, mad- dog or glad-dog looks we convey. I know that when I want to go outside, I go to the door, and if no one picks up on the fact that I want out, I bark. It is extremely important that you and I are not allowed to bite and it is your owner's responsibility to make sure you understand how unacceptable biting is, no matter what the situation. Now what you didn't mention in your missive to me was whether or not you've snapped at people on other occasions. If biting your neighbor was the only time you've erred on the side of biting, then I'd give you some slack. However, if you have a history of biting it's time to nip it in the bud, and your owner needs to put a stop to this behavior. One little bite doesn't mean the end of a relationship as long as it was just that, "one little bite." But your owner needs to evaluate your behavior. Your neighbor's grandchildren should never be at risk, and your owner is right to restrict you to staying inside when those children are playing next door. Err on the side of caution. Napoleon or not, to bite isn’t right! Zelda Share this column with a friend! |
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