Cita
Posted : 1/21/2011 11:42:53 AM
Krissim Klaw
I think as humans we often tend to humanize when it comes to actions like bites. It can feel like such a betrayal of trust. We can't help but think, hey, I would never bite/hit you. Why did you do that, do you hate me? We can stick it on the same level as if a trusted human family member hit us. I think it is important to remember however that biting, especially more of a back off snap is not an uncommon occurrence in dog society. If you had been another dog chances are you wouldn't have even been nicked since you would have some fur and tougher skin to soften the blow. On another note, if she had been another human I doubt you would have been so quick to try to get her to move by nudging her with your foot or turn so quickly to forcefully lift her somewhere she didn't want to go. It is a double standard, and all of us are guilty of doing it at some point or another.
With any animal, I also think it is important to listen to them. She may not be able to speak English but she told you in a clear voice, I am not in a good place right now. She clearly growled and that should have alerted you that you needed to stop, and really think of how to approach things. Perhaps it is just my experience with more primitive critters, but I know if one of my mantises throws up a threat pose the last thing I'm going to do is reach down and try to grab them. Instead, I focus on getting them to relax back down before continuing with what I was trying to accomplish.
She is an old gal, blind, and way past the point of acting out because she wants to act out.
Totally agree with this, and with Callie. What Daisy did sounds exactly like what Rascal would do in that position. If he is nervous, uncomfortable, stressed, or in pain, if you physically try to get him to move, he will cower, freeze, and then growl. In his mind, that is 3 warnings - if you continue to approach him, he will bite. (And I totally understand, I get my feelings hurt too! Even though I know better!)
I strongly believe that the WORST thing you can do with an animal is to make them feel "cornered." You always, always, always have to give them an option to "do the right thing" (not bite), because if they feel threatened, they're going to do *something.* You want the "something" to be "not-bite," so you have to give them other options of things to do, know what I mean?
If something like that happens again, try *asking* Daisy to move, instead of forcing her. With a happy, cheerful voice, ask her to "come," or ask her if she wants a cookie, or whatever you need to do to make her 1) feel like you're not a threat, 2) get her listening to you (you know how when you're really upset you don't really listen to people very well? I think dogs are the same), 3) get her to do what you want, because she wants to do it.
Because you've said she is blind, do you do much work with voice commands? I think that would be very, very helpful for you. I very rarely physically touch Rascal, both because of his arthritis and because he tends to get frightened/threatened easily - instead, I direct him places with voice commands.
For example, if Rascal is somewhere and I need him to move, I can say, "Scoot! C'mon! Get outta here!" and he knows that all three of those mean he needs to get out of the way. If I'm in a big hurry for some emergency or something, I can move him physically (like by brushing him out of the way with my feet) but I'm also saying, "Scoot! Get outta here!" and he's less frightened, because he knows what's going on, and he knows what he's supposed to do. If I just push him, without saying anything, 9 times out of 10 he's going to get startled/scared and bite me. And Rascal is only 7 years old, and can see very well! I would imagine the world would be even scarier for a dog that can't see what's happening in the world around them.