Lassie, Get Real

A Guide to Myths that Plague Dog Owners

by Gina Mirault. Gina Mireault is a psychology professor and do trainer. She and her family live with a Golden Retriever and an Australian Shepherd, in Vermont.

Copyright the American Kennel Club, Inc., 2004. No portion of this article may be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Reprinted with permission from AKC Family Dog, Winter 2004, Volume 2, No. 3. To subscribe: http://www.akc.org

A match made in heaven. Love at first sight. Soul mates who were made for each other. These are the notions of hopeless romantics. Many of us have come to believe in -- and hope for -- our own "happily-ever-after," complete with picket fence, adoring children, and, of course, a perfectly behaved dog.

Admittedly, I too have fallen victim to these ideals-at least the one about the perfect dog. It wasn't until a new dog crash-landed in my life that I found myself on the other side of that proverbial picket fence, confronting a fantasy of dog ownership I didn't even know I had. A 40-pound dynamo Australian Shepherd, Daisy spent her puppyhood in constant motion. Defying the laws of physics, she seemed to generate her own energy, and even oppose gravity by jumping onto the kitchen counter from a standstill. When her need for stimulation went unfulfilled, she created her own amusements by emptying tissue boxes, chewing through toothpaste tubes, catching small birds, and jamming dog treats between stones in the rock garden. All this despite daily walks, training sessions, and outings. When she occasionally napped, I tiptoed around her like a new parent wary of waking a sleeping baby. Daisy was no Lassie. As the months passed, I was disappointed and frustrated with Daisy, all because of a romantic image that had set us up for failure.

Great Expectations

Hollywood is not entirely to blame, but every generation has been wooed by its share of fairy-tale canines, with Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Old Yeller, Benji, and Shiloh leading the pack. Recently, the American Film Insitute named the Top 100 Movie Heroes of All Time: Lassie came in 39th. The silver screen has campaigned the ideal dog as intuitive, intelligent, altruistic, and ultimately heroic, with a marked absence of typical problem behaviors like excessive barking or leash pulling. Some of our heroes have even possessed uncanny talents for solving crimes or cracking jokes. These inspirational dogs have sent us searching for a canine equivalent of Prince Charming. Charming arrives full of potential perfection, but before long falls far short of an ideal that no dog can achieve -- not even Lassie (who had the benefit of body doubles, retakes, and editing). Writer and dog trainer Jon Katz refers to these canine screen idols as "Disney dogs," reminding us that they are simply actors playing character roles, which is easy to forget from our seat in the audience.

There are some real-life canine heroes, of course. The statue of Balto in Central Park, commemorating one of the lead sled dogs that transported antitoxin to Norne, Alaska, during a diphtheria epidemic in 1925, honors a real dog, not a fairy-tale character. Yet, Katz notes that although real-life heroic dogs get press, they are as statistically deviant as vicious dogs. Katz recalls sharing his own idealistic perception of his dog with a trainer, insisting that his dog would pine away without him. The trainer laughingly assured Katz that the dog's pining could be cured with "two pounds of beef liver and a couple of days' time." After all, dogs are zen-like, living for and in the present moment, and this is partly why we admire them. They don't hold grudges, but they also seldom pine. We can't have it both ways.

Romance has another major flaw when applied to our relationships, human or canine. In a classic romance, a passive partner awaits rescue by an active partner. Sleeping Beauty awaits true love's kiss, and the responsibility for the happy ending rests with the Prince. When we fantasize about our canine partners, we may make this same fatal relational flaw if we place the responsibility for success on our dogs. A colleague recently placed his spaniel, Henry, with a new owner after concluding that Henry was "untrainable." Despite the fact that Henry had never been taken to a class or received proper training, his owner somehow placed the burden of learning how to act on Henry The owner had avoided his responsibility to train Henry perhaps out of convenience, lack of time, or interest. But the situation was worsened by the owner's idealistic picture of dog ownership, in which the dog magically understands what his master wants and complies willingly, effectively training himself. If the dog fails, as Henry did, the fantasy is not abandoned -- rather, the dog is.

Ironically, training is less for the dog, and more for the owner who needs to learn to communicate effectively, patiently, and humanely. Communication is not simply telling the dog what one wants, but listening to the dog's signals, and recognizing and correcting one's own mistakes. Communication is a dynamic between two engaged partners. A passive partner (like Henry's owner) is a liability to the success of the process.

Of course, it would be much easier if dogs lived up to our "man's best friend" expectations, behaving impeccably all on their own. However, were that the case, communication with our dogs would be unnecessary and the whole relationship would elude us. Motion picture directors are working their magic when we leave the theater believing the canine screen idol was self-trained and intuitive. Yet we'd be foolish to think lassie was anything but well-trained, socialized, and cared for with a dedicated trainer working hard to achieve the appearance of effortlessness.

Myths and Reality

Rather than needing to run free, dogs like to know the boundaries of their territory.

Some of our misconceptions about dogs are common myths that take us further afield from understanding real dogs. For example, it is widely believed that dogs "need to run free" or "need to have a litter," and that depriving them of these innate canine needs is inhumane. Most dogs do need exercise, and an active breed may be less content in a city flat than in a suburban farmhouse. But the "need to run free" misconception implies that dogs need unsupervised access to the great outdoors. Buying into this fallacy lets us off the hook (or off the leash) because it suggests that we can't adequately meet dogs' needs for exercise and play, so why bother. The truth is that domestic dogs don't need to run free any more than do domestic farm animals. They are dogs, not dingoes. As pack animals, dogs do need companionship that includes supervised exercise and play. Although Lassie was free to roam, it was only in a faux countryside on a Hollywood set.

Do dogs need to have a litter? One would hardly recommend having a baby as a means to settle a teenager's wild behavior! In fact, the "need to have a litter" misconception does not appear to be applied to other species like cats or horses, and therein lies a hypocrisy. Veterinary science has demonstrated that when dogs are neutered young, they have fewer health and behavioral issues, live longer, and don't contribute to the number of dogs roaming the streets, unwanted or abandoned by their masters. Still, many dog owners believe that neutering destroys a dog's masculinity, and that allowing for at least one litter calms a female and increases her affection. It's important to consider that dogs do not adhere to psychological constructs like gender, and are therefore unlikely to feel more or less masculine or feminine after neutering or giving birth.

Neutering a male dog makes him no less macho, nor does spaying a female make her less affectionate.

Author and dog trainer Susan McCullough has found other misconceptions in her work with dog owners. For example, some people are drawn to small breeds because of the belief that small dogs are more manageable. Small or large, all dogs need to be house trained and taught to refrain from nuisance behaviors such as chewing and excessive barking. Owners of small dogs are sometimes less prepared for dog ownership because of the belief that small dogs cause only small problems.

An untrained toy dog can pose as big a problem as a larger dog.

McCullough has also confronted the common misconception that crates are cruel, partly because crate training is a relatively new tool in dog training. Those of us who grew up with dogs that were not crate trained are of the same generation that didn't use seat belts, computers, or cell phones. Today, we can't be without them. Crates are the canine technology of today, but unlike modern gadgets and conveniences, crate training is based on a canine den instinct that is as old as the hills. Deprive your dog of a crate and he'll make one for himself by seeking the cozy space under a bed, table, or desk.

Make the Investment

Unlike most good romance novels, real life doesn't end at the moment in the plot when the two partners meet or marry. Real life begins there. Unfortunately, fantasy can be a set-up for failure since most dogs won't measure up to our expectations of their unconditional love, super-canine intelligence, and desire to please us with every breath. They are dogs, after all, not fictional heroes. But hopeless romantics need not despair. If we can recognize our fantasy-based expectations, and see our dogs' (and our own) reality-based assets, then the real-life story we share with our dogs can supersede any bestselling book or box office hit.

Raising a puppy takes time, patience, and constant surveillance-but it is worth the investment.

McCullough prescribes "front-loading the investment" in order to get that happy ending. "Raising a puppy properly requires a lot of work in the beginning if one is to savor a dog's companionship later. One needs to invest a lot of time, dedication, and patience, and not necessarily get much of a payoff in the beginning," she advises. McCullough suggests that dog owners also need to have faith that their investment will pay off later.

She also suggests that dog owners be aware that training does not always progress consistently or in a forward direction. "For every two steps forward, you're likely to take one step back." She cites her own recent experience with her 8-month-old Golden Retriever, Allie. In the process of trying to greet passersby, Allie wrapped the leash around McCullough's legs and knocked her off her feet! McCullough left the scene a little embarrassed, but with a reminder to continue to be patient with and prepared for this type of behavior. Dogs aren't born knowing how to walk politely on a leash. Only practice and experience get results, for those on both ends of the leash.

Romance Revisited

Romance isn't all bad. It is ultimately what draws us into the relationship. Katz observes that we are still drawn to dogs despite the challenges they can bring. They wag, slobber, beg, bark, and enrich our lives immeasurably. We could choose an easier, dogless route, but it would surely be less picturesque. Romance cannot deliver the idiosyncrasies that make the dog-owner relationship rich with reality.

As an adult, Daisy's energy leveled out, her training paid off, and we found our rhythm, but she still maintains a few less-than-ideal behaviors. She occasionally bullies other dogs; she has no tolerance for UPS deliveries; given the chance, she's a car chaser; and "l'eau de toilette" is her preferred beverage. She's no Lassie, but I'm no Cinderella either. We were made for each other.