The beginning and the end of problems
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Wan-Wan guards her rear as she meets a new pal
EVERY TIME we go out for a walk, Wan-Wan, my poodle pup, looks around for people or dogs to make friends with. She loves the good times, when another dog wants to touch noses with her, or a person bends over to give her a belly rub.
It’s always so unexpected, and today, much to Wan’s pleasure, we suddenly meet a new friend.
He’s a pretty white Pomeranian sniffing around outside the gate of a large house on the corner. I’m surprised by his owners. Why is such a little dog on the soi?
As Wan and I walk towards him, he jumps towards us. He’s not really interested in me, though, immediately touching noses with Wan. Then the two dogs do what dogs usually do and check out the aroma of the opposite end.
I’d say this meeting is going very well. The boy is charming, and Wan is really happy.
Suddenly, Wan begins squealing. She’s protecting herself, I think. Her new friend seems confused. He steps back, waiting for Wan to calm down, but those noises has brought his owners outside.
Concern is all over their faces. “What has Snowy done?” one of the ladies asks me. “Did he bite your dog?”
The lady is really embarrassed. “I didn’t know the gate was open. We would never let Snowy out, especially on this soi.”
I’m really embarrassed too. I agree that Snowy shouldn’t be out on this soi, but he’s been as gentle as he could be. In fact, I’ve never met a Pomeranian so calm and polite. He’s obviously been raised with love, gentleness and respect.
“Snowy didn’t do anything,” I tell the two women.
One of the women says, almost apologetically, “He’s very gentle. I don’t think he’s ever bitten anyone in his life.”
I believe her. The boy allows me to scratch behind his ears, as if he deserves any sort of physical contact from anyone.
When I lift Wan up, the two dogs touch noses again. In my arms, my dog feels safe, and she shows all her feelings with a big smile on her face and an excited wag of her tail on the other end.
Yet Wan is slightly smaller than Snowy, and her squealing has caused all the problems.
She’s all right meeting anyone face to face, but the minute a dog heads for the other end, she becomes anxious. Checking out rear ends is perfectly natural for dogs, but not for Wan.
I suspect both past experiences and physical problems have made my dog somewhat nervous. Children and even some soi dogs have run up behind her and tapped on her rump. They haven’t hurt her, but she’s certainly been unpleasantly startled.
She’s learned that any bad experience comes from behind.
In addition, for the past few years, she’s had problems with the ligaments on her back legs. She’s had an operation to stabilise the ligament on her right leg, but not on the left. The surgeon feels that so far, no surgery is necessary, but that leg might be a bit sensitive at times.
Of course, I don’t explain any of these considerations to the two ladies. I’m just relieved that they’re so friendly.
Still later, I think I understand how Snowy has become such a charming, relaxed little dog.
The second Wan began squealing, any other owner would have run out and yelled at me for hurting their dog. Without trying to find out what happened, they would have defended their dog as loudly and angrily as they could and blamed me and my dog for whatever occurred.
Snowy’s owners, on the other hand, are as charming and relaxed as their dog. Training a dog really does start with the owner, doesn’t it.
