Christmas carols played softly in the background and the smell of oven baked french toast and fresh coffee wafted through the air as our family gathered in the living room to exchange gifts on Christmas morning. Presents were artfully arranged around the base of the tree, and the ornaments reflected the twinkling lights nestled in the branches.
For the first time in fifteen years, none of the children (or dogs) awakened us at 5:00 am…and 5:30 am…and 6:00 am…and 6:30 am, asking if Santa and the reindeer enjoyed the cookies, milk and carrots waiting for them on the front porch. The gifts had been wrapped days in advance, Christmas Eve mass had been attended and all of us were looking forward to spending a leisurely morning quietly, as a family. It had even snowed lightly the night before, adding to the magic of Christmas.
The only things missing from this idyllic scene were our two dogs, Katie and Rosie. Through misty eyes, I looked at our human and animal family and thought that it was the perfect opportunity to immortalize Christmas 2017 with a portrait of the dogs posing together, in front of the Christmas tree. Since everyone was waiting patiently to open their gifts, I promised them that it would only take a minute to get the picture of the year.
The dogs burst into the living room, feeding off the anticipation palpable in the air, the strange boxes under a tree (inside the house?!) and the smell of chocolate from the stockings hung with care. Further adding to the excitement was the fact that neither dog had gone on her morning walk, nor had either been fed yet.
“Not to worry,” I said, “This will just take thirty seconds, then we’ll take them out.”
I won’t bore you with more of the details of my ill fated plan to photograph the dogs, but suffice it to say that there was not one successful photo taken of the dogs, either together or separately. Sentiment clouded my judgment, and even though I “knew better”, I asked the dogs to perform behaviors that they hadn’t practiced, in a way they were unfamiliar with, without fully preparing them.
The lessons learned from this glimpse into our family’s Christmas morning are not necessarily about having a great holiday or taking fabulous photographs with a fearful dog. The lessons can be applied every day, to every dog.
Be Prepared
Full bladders and empty stomachs are not conducive to anything except a potty break and breakfast. Basic needs must be addressed before going on to any new activity. If I can’t function without breakfast, then I shouldn’t ask my dogs to adhere to higher standards.
Plan Ahead
Impulsive, last minute decisions rarely work out for us or for our fearful dogs. I should have planned and worked towards that Christmas photo weeks in advance. I should have had squeaky toys for attention, wonderful treats for successful behavior and all the furniture moved out of the way for a well-framed shot on the first take. Twinkling lights and coordinated wrapping paper and bows are no excuse for not planning ahead.
A Fearful Dog Cannot Be Rushed
Deadlines and schedules don’t ever work with fearful dogs. One of my many mistakes was allowing “just a minute” for the photo. As soon as there is the pressure of a deadline then humans get stressed. Fearful dogs are masters of reading minute shifts in breathing and muscle tension. My tension directly impacted Katie’s performance, no matter how I tried to disguise it.
Train for the Occasion
Your dog must first successfully learn and practice the behavior you’re asking for without distractions. Then she needs many more positive “dress rehearsals” in order to work up to the final behavior. Just because Katie knew her sit stay in many different contexts, she had never been asked for a sit stay next to Rosie in the living room with five people looking at her expectantly.
Compromise is Everything
If your dog can’t do what you’re asking for at that moment, gratefully accept the behavior she is offering. Katie couldn’t give me solid sit stay with Rosie next to her, but she could sit (literally) on my feet. Unfortunately, her wonderful compromise didn’t allow me to actually take the photo.
Be Clear in All Things
If you can’t articulate to yourself in a short sentence what it is you would like your dog to do, then you can’t give your dog clear direction. And without clear direction, your dog will offer up her best guess as to what you want, which is often not what you envisioned.
Don’t Let Sentiment Cloud Your Better Judgment
Err on the side of asking your dog for a tiny bit too little, rather than too much; the more your dog succeeds, the more confident she will become, and the more she will be able to do. Think long and hard about asking your dog to do something that she isn’t truly prepared to do. If I had been open to taking a photo of just Katie laying on her bed in front of the tree (which are all things she can do), I would have had a great photo on December 25th, not January 2nd.
Although there are many morals to this Christmas tale, it actually ended well. Once I saw the impossibility of what I was asking two excited, eager-to-please dogs to do, I stopped. The dogs were walked and fed, new stuffed toys (with squeakers!) were distributed, I regained my composure and all of us, human and animal went on to thoroughly enjoy Christmas morning.
And eventually, eight days later to be precise, I quietly moved all the furniture in the living room, set Katie’s bed up under the tree, and very calmly got my picture of the year.
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