Examining the Psychology of Human Interaction with Dogs

     When looking for a new dog you are obviously going to want a smart one. The definition of smart is relative to our definitions; many people might say that the measure of a dog's intelligence is how well it responds to commands so they will call "here, boy!", "sit nice!", or some other inane command that the dog is supposed to obey. Chances are, if the dog does those sorts of things, he may be less intelligent than the crafty Golden Doodles or Pomeranians who know that they are cute enough to wrap the human around its paw and get anything it wants with a panting tongue and loving eyes. It sometimes gets confusing knowing who owns who, but there's no doubt that people need to express love and dogs can soak up all the love you care to give them. It's a common mistake for inexperienced dog owners to treat their pets like children which can lead to behavior problems for a puppy growing into maturity among humans. Dogs react based on instinct and sensory input, living in the here and now, while humans live in the past and future.

In urban areas where people live in apartments and other cramped quarters, it's more practical to own a small dog breed like the miniature Goldendoodle, petite Goldendoodle, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Pug, and other dogs with low-shed coats and smaller appetites. Whether the personality of the dog should be high-strung or mellow depends on the temperament of the owner and his or her resistance to cuteness attacks. If the dog is the type to jump on you and lick your neck excitedly you might be late for work enjoying the happiness you're giving the never-satisfied pet. It's wise to estimate how much barking will be going on once you purchase a puppy. Some will bark endlessly at the slightest sound, thinking they are protecting the area; other dogs might need a tap on the shoulder just to get them to turn around and pay attention.

Dogs live in the present and don't retain very much past memory other than sounds or scents that they may associate with their master or a past fearful experience. As Cesar Milan the Dog Whisperer notes, dogs experience their lives mainly through their noses, eyes, and ears (in that order) so he interacts with dogs by thinking in terms they will understand. The reason that he stresses the important of leading the dog is that dogs are pack animals like their wolf ancestors. Every pack has a leader and if there is no one in the well-defined role of leader, then the dog will take over and become the leader. If no authority is set down for the dog to follow it results in the dog taking over the house and doing whatever he pleases wherever he pleases to do it. He will come to the refrigerator every time it's opened because he knows he can beg for food and get it instantly. Worse yet the dog can become aggressive if not brought up correctly and might snap at those who infringe on his territory.

My earliest experience with aggressive dogs was in my pre-school years when my family was visiting a distant relative and I ran down a hallway when their dog barked at me. The dog quickly ran after me and bit me in the heel rather deeply. Nobody told me that you shouldn't run from a barking dog, and apparently the dog was running the show in that house. Now when a dog gets close to me I let it get a whiff of my scent while looking it in the eyes before extending a hand or rubbing its coat. Fortunately dog owners get more skilled at handling their pets all the time and the popular dogs for sale in stores are exceedingly loving and great around kids, but like children its possible to spoil a dog and end up with a brat.