Posted by Dinah on August 24, 2010, at 6:44:19
In reply to Re: Pet therapy » Dinah, posted by Phillipa on August 23, 2010, at 12:29:39
I think there's a certain amount of chemistry involved. Some people just draw us more than others, and some dogs just draw us more than others. It's not always about how good they are or how much they love us.
But I also think that attachment can be encouraged through bonding activities. Just as in an arranged marriage, lucky husbands and wives can grow to love and attachment through shared goals and experiences, lucky dogs and owners can grow to attachment through shared goals and experiences. Training your dog, or spending time with him, is the best way to fall in love. There's nothing like the shared excitement of a goal reached to stimulate those bonding hormones.
It doesn't have to be a formal class. Youtube has lots of videos on teaching your dogs simple tricks or obedience with positive methods. Teddy will never be Sheeba or Brandy. But if you invest in your relationship with him, he might become Teddy, with his own memories.
I was reading a book by Cesar Millan, where he talked about the energy each of us has. Sometimes the energy between a dog and human is just right, and we effortlessly fall in love. But we can't always count on that happening. More often than not it takes some work, just by the very nature of chemistry and the chances of it coming along with every dog we get.
And of course, sometimes we fall in love with just the wrong dog. :) But it doesn't sound like you have to worry about that with yours.
poster:Dinah
thread:959472
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20100806/msgs/959602.html