I mean it in the nicest way possible, but Emmett isn’t normal.
Sometimes, when I’m working with Lucas and Cooper, I catch myself thinking, “Ugh. I wish they would be more like Emmett.” But that’s a totally unreasonable expectation. And totally unfair because Emmett isn’t normal. (Stick with me. I do have a point!)
Example 1: For various reasons, we’re fairly sure Molly was never inside a home. So, as her foster family, we’re striving to get her used to house things. While I was cooking dinner last night, I let her into the kitchen with Emmett. I asked Emmett to sit/stay in the center of the kitchen while I made dinner… and while Molly jumped all around including on his face, chomped his tail, sniffed his manhood, tried to climb on the counters, and yipped. And Emmett just sat there, immovable and calm.
Example 2: Two loose dogs – with collars – are running through the neighborhood but didn’t respond when I called. They wagged a bit but kept on their adventure. So, I leashed up Emmett as bait. Walked toward the dogs who came to investigate him. Dropped his leash and asked him to wait. Clipped the loose dogs. Walked home.
Example 3: We’re at the public library. Kids are clamoring around him, giving hugs and kisses. I turn to a parent to answer a question. I turn back – and a little girl is pushing down on Emmett’s head with all her might. He’s sitting perfectly still, resisting, eyes wide and staring at me, clearly saying, “Help!” But he hadn’t moved or reacted in any way. (For the record, she wanted him to lay down. Sigh.)
I could go on, but you get the idea. He’s a doggy Zen master. And that’s not normal.
Most dogs aren’t like Emmett.
And when I catch myself comparing Lucas and Cooper (or, now, Molly) to him, it’s totally unfair and entirely unreasonable. I set training goals for the boys that, I hope, help them navigate their world with confidence. But I frequently catch myself thinking the end game is to get Lucas and Cooper to be calm or confident or solid… like Emmett. And that’s not fair.
Incidentally, what got me thinking about this was a book that I was sent to review that said that comparing is a natural part of the human condition. Hmm.
So, I’m wondering: How do you determine when your dog is “trained”? Do you compare your dog to others? Or, if you have multiples, do you hold them up to a single high standard? Or – are you more enlightened than I am – and focus on individual goals?
Rebekah says
01•09•14 at 3:21 pmHe is not normal, he is incredible.
On a side note, the little girl from the library could have easily been bitten by any other dog. Her parents need to teach her the appropriate way to interact with dogs, particularly ones she does not know.
Maggie says
01•13•14 at 11:30 amYES. Luckily, by doing all the visiting we did before Emmett retired from therapy dog work, we were able to help educate kiddos like her (and their parents!!) and hopefully prevent issues with other dogs down the line.
Abby says
01•09•14 at 3:36 pmEmmett! What a gem! What a good dog.
Pyrrha has always seemed more trained than she really is, because her default behavior is to go lie down somewhere cozy (she doesn’t ever jump on people, bark, tear up things in the house, pull on the leash). But this stems from a lot of her shyness and her disinclination to interact with people. In many ways, I get excited when she displays some “bad” (i.e., NORMAL) dog behavior, like wanting to kiss someone’s face or happily greet another dog.
Having Eden now definitely makes us compare her with Pyrrha, unfairly. Pyrrha is weird and neurotic but calm; Eden is a bundle of energy and only 6 months old, and super-confident, so she’s naturally doing to be a lot less “trained-looking” than Pyr!
Maggie says
01•13•14 at 11:32 amI do think making comparisons is part of human nature, but the important thing is being conscious of it, which you definitely are. It’ll be interesting to see if Eden brings Pyrrha out of her shell at all. I’m excited to follow along on their adventures, that’s for sure!
D. Cryor says
01•09•14 at 4:30 pmI love Emmett 🙂
Maggie says
01•13•14 at 11:32 amAwww!! That’s so sweet! 🙂
All Bark No Bite Dog Blog says
01•10•14 at 6:31 amWe have multiple dogs in our household, and while I do hold them all to a certain standard, it is not fair to expect them all to be perfect. Dogs do have their own personalities, which can lead to how they respond to certain situations like the library incident you mention.
Maggie says
01•13•14 at 11:34 amYes!! Expecting perfecting is a recipe for disaster… for the person and for the dog! Trusting and understanding their personalities is definitely a large part of setting them up for success. Thanks for making such a good point.
Kaitlin says
01•10•14 at 1:14 pmGreat post. Our 3 are all so different too. The puppy having the hardest time living up the standard our 2 older girls set. But we had those 2 when we were young and single and could spend more time training, but that is on our list for 2014! And we do love each one so differently too – just like our kids!
On a side note – I’ve been meaning to tell you that you now have 2 dogs with the same names as my 2 kids! Shortly after my son was born my mom sent me the top list of pet names for 2012 and our 2 kids were on there, and none of our 3 dogs! Ha!
Maggie says
01•13•14 at 11:34 amThat’s so funny!! It just shows that you have excellent taste in names! 😉
Jan K says
01•11•14 at 3:27 pmKobi is the only one of our dogs that is laid back and not freaked out by fireworks, thunderstorms, strangers….anything. I often wish the girls could be more like him. I don’t think I really do comparisons when it comes to training though, I think I keep them pretty individual in that way.
So far Luke is proving to be pretty laid back too….he must be watching Kobi more than the girls! 🙂
Maggie says
01•13•14 at 11:36 amI’m proud of you for staying focused on their individuality. That’s a big success in my book! It’ll be interesting to see how Luke’s personality develops. I’m so excited you have him so I can live through the puppy stages vicariously through you!!