Still on a doggy theme, although it applies to horses a bit as well.....

I've noticed that people are often very well-intentioned about trying to see the world through the eyes of their dogs. Perhaps moreso than the average horseowner?? When Sam arrived he came with a massive plastic bed but no cushion or blanket. I suggested getting something more comfortable for it but the lady from the rescue centre said not to for a while as he would want the reassurance of his smell in his bed in a new home. Fair enough and I felt as though I had a lot to learn. But I still got out a blanket and left it next to the bed. Sure enough, he couldn't give a stuff about the plastic bed and slept on the more comfortable blanket. So after that I left the blanket in the plastic bed.

Similarly I keep a water bowl in the car for him and my husband was very anxious we should use it as it smells of him and/or he knows it's his. But if we're at the stables he's just as happy drinking out of the trough or buckets and so we don't need to put a wet bowl back in the car. People sometimes seem very unaware of what is actually happening rather than the theory of what they believe should be happening.

It reminds me (extrapolating wildly!) of Carl Rogers "On Becoming a Person" again and what he says about recognising what you are experiencing of life and not just remaining in a more theoretical life that you might believe you are living. It's something I notice loads when talking to other parents of young babies and listening to them saying almost what they want to be true rather than exactly what is true (no that sound then was not him saying dog!!!)

Hmmm, not sure of my point here, just rambling aloud...

Catherine

I guess my point is that it's great when people try to think about what their animal would prefer, rather than just telling it who's boss as so many people do. But in thinking about what the animal would prefer, it's so important to see the world through the eyes of the animal and create some sort of mental feedback loop so you can improve. Rather than just making assumptions about what you think it might want.