Making new friends.

Comment

Comment by Laurie, Fudge & Vern on February 20, 2013 at 5:40am

Thanks, Jay!

Comment by Jay and Lola on February 19, 2013 at 8:16pm

Lynda and Laurie - Ha, ok and thanks!

Lynda - who cannot love these dogs?  I was asking myself that same question the other day.  I'm pretty sure the answer is "no one".

Laurie - now that I think about it, that is kind of what I meant.  Around here at least I've noticed that a lot of people only take their dogs out when the whether is nice.  Lola and I were at the dog park this evening, and it was about 13 degrees and windy.  We were having a great time but there was literally no one else there.  It made me kind of sad to think about all those dogs stuck inside because their owners are too lazy to bundle up and take them out.  I am certain that if I saw you walking your dogs in the rain, I would think to myself, wow, there goes a great, loving and dedicated owner who is likely to be exactly the type of person I would like to be friends with.  So there.

Comment by Sheila & Finnley on February 19, 2013 at 7:14pm

Nice story Lynda and a great day ! I love meeting people, and seem to be one of those that people pick out of the crowd to talk to. With or without the doodle ! :)

Comment by Laurie, Fudge & Vern on February 19, 2013 at 6:56pm

Jay, Thanks for taking the time to explain :) I was thinking about this on my walk today in the pouring rain with my two dogs. I am sure if you met me you would think there goes a tall lady who is a terrible dog trainer.  LOL

Comment by Allyson, Peri & Taquito on February 19, 2013 at 10:40am

That so neat.  Love this story!

Comment by Jay and Lola on February 19, 2013 at 9:31am

I suppose the other thing I was thinking about is how a dog performs certain behaviors. For example, a sit that is initially taught with positives will usually look different than a sit that is initially taught with adversives.  However, the former takes longer to teach and requires more ongoing maintenance for it to be reliable. The latter can be taught more quickly and will usually require less ongoing maintenance.  Neither is right or wrong, but each reveals something different about the ongoing relationship between the person and the dog.

I'm probably a little off topic but it was an interesting thought, so I figured I'd share.

Comment by Jay and Lola on February 19, 2013 at 8:48am

Laurie - I just left a similar comment for Lynda.  I think I put my foot in my mouth and apologize if I offended anyone.  I was not thinking about what we call "misbehavior" or when you dog does something naughty.  Those are human concepts and just mean that you dog hasn't yet been taught not to do those things.  On the other hand, you could have a person that is a terrible, harsh disciplinarian who produces a perfectly-behaved dog - yet that is not someone I would probably want to be friends with.  I was thinking more about how my dog at least is a mirror for the emotional and psychological state she is surrounded by.  When I am feeling insecure or fearful, she becomes neurotic.  When I am feeling secure and confident, she calms down.  Also I suppose ( was thinking more about deep-down fundamentals than specific behaviors.  Has the dog been properly socialized with other humans and dogs?  Does the dog follow his human out of love and respect, or out of fear?  Does the person empathize with the dog as a dog, or try to talk to him as though he were a person?  Etc.

Comment by BG and Gavin on February 19, 2013 at 7:39am

This is great Lynda.  There is always room for another friend in your life.  When I have Gavin with me and I meet new people, I find that they open up so quickly and totally, revealing many personal things about themselves without me even asking.  When you are walking a great, friendly dog, people seem to instantly trust you.

Comment by J & Luna on February 19, 2013 at 6:16am

Luna belongs to an "after the buses leave" club of dogs that play together each morning.  After the kids leave for school the dogs get their play time - they have a great time racing around, chasing and fetching.  All the dogs are around the same age (between 1 and 3 years old) and us neighbors would never get together and talk as much if it weren't for the dogs!

Comment by Laurie, Fudge & Vern on February 19, 2013 at 6:12am

Lynda, It sounds like you had a great day!

Jay,  Plus you can always tell about a person by how their dog behaves.  I would love to know what you can tell about a person when their dog misbehaves. I am just wondering what it means about me when Fudge or Vern do something naughty.

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