{"id":770,"date":"2009-09-30T11:13:34","date_gmt":"2009-09-30T18:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/?p=770"},"modified":"2009-09-30T11:13:34","modified_gmt":"2009-09-30T18:13:34","slug":"dog-relationship-robot-companion-toy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/dog-relationship-robot-companion-toy\/","title":{"rendered":"What Relationship Do You Have with Your Dog?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>What type of relationship do you want to have with your dog?<\/em> <\/p>\n<p>Some people expect their dog to be like a robot. The dog must follow all commands, no ifs, ands, or buts. There is also a myth that either a dog is a robot, or he is totally out of control. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Either the dog follows every command, or he follows no commands at all.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While these extremes are a good way to instigate arguments, they are not a good representation of reality. In reality, most dogs are somewhere in-between. Where exactly a dog ends up usually depends on our temperament and what type of relationship we desire. <\/p>\n<p>Some few owners <em>do<\/em> want a <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/controlling-a-dogs-behavior-is-total-control-necessary\"> totally controlled <em>Stepford Dog<\/em><\/a>, and the dog will have little choice but to comply.<\/p>\n<p>My dog is my companion. <\/p>\n<p>Personally, I do not desire a robotic <em>Stepford Dog<\/em> relationship. As a companion, my dog has the freedom to make up his own mind about a variety of things every day.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-hpic2\">\n<div id='3146' class='wp-caption frame3 alignright' style='width:280px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:280px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/IMG_2166-280x210.jpg\" alt=\"Shiba Inu Sephy getting his teeth brushed.\" title=\"Brush Shiba Inu Teeth\" width=\"280\" height=\"210\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3146\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>Shiba Inu Sephy getting his teeth brushed.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<p><div id='3218' class='wp-caption frame3 alignright' style='width:280px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:280px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/IMG_2340-280x210.jpg\" alt=\"Making the dogs work for their food.\" title=\"Dog Training Requires Fairness and Consistency.\" width=\"280\" height=\"210\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3218\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>Making the dogs work for their food.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For example, he can decide to let me <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/how-to-clean-a-dogs-teeth\">clean his teeth<\/a> in order to get some chicken with melted cheese. If he does not want teeth brushing, that is his choice, but he also does not get any cheese chicken.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/food-training-good-bad-bribery\"><strong>Is this bribery?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>I suppose we can call it whatever we want, but <strong>bribery<\/strong> is a strange term to use here.<\/em> <\/p>\n<p>Everyone agrees, I think, that dogs need to be fed every day. Here, we are simply making the dog work for his food rather than giving it to him, for free, in a silver bowl. <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\nWhy is giving a dog food for doing work, bribery, but giving a dog free food, somehow better?\n<\/li>\n<li>\nWhy is jerking a dog around, poking him, pinning him down, somehow acceptable but giving him food is <em>wrong<\/em>?\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This does not mean that I let my <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/dog-escape-why-dogs-run-away\">dogs run around loose in the neighborhood<\/a> to do whatever they want. <\/p>\n<p><strong>All dogs must be managed to some extent for their own safety and the safety of others.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>For example, my dog must put on a leash and collar before a walk. He can decide not to put on these things, but then, he does not get to go for his fun walk. <\/p>\n<p>Is this bribery? Does it matter? <\/p>\n<p>What matters to me is that my dog stays safe, as well as enjoys a good quality of life.<\/p>\n<div id='3084' class='wp-caption frame3 aligncenter' style='width:520px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:520px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/IMG_2027-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"My dog must put on a leash and collar before a walk.\" title=\"Shiba Inu on collar and leash out for a walk\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3084\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>My dog must put on a leash and collar before a walk.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<p>My dog has free rein in backyard, but he is not allowed to dig under the fence. If he decides to dig under the fence, then he does not get to stay in the backyard.<\/p>\n<p>True, my dog is not going to be an <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/shiba-inu-sephys-resume\">obedience champion<\/a> and win\u00a0 competitions, but I do not think he much cares about that. If he did, that would certainly be a fun thing that we could both do together.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to robot and companion, there is a third kind of dog relationship that I term &#8216;<em>soft-toy<\/em>&#8216; dog.\u00a0 These dogs do not normally get discussed, but the majority of dogs in my neighborhood probably fall closest to this class.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A <em>soft-toy<\/em> dog is just an object, acquired to fulfill its owner&#8217;s needs.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>The dog rarely gets walked, and only gets hugged and played with when the owner needs companionship. At other times, the dog lives in the backyard, with nothing to do, and nobody to interact with.<\/p>\n<p>There are many such dogs in my neighborhood. They charge the fence and bark at shadows, because their whole lives are about <em>fences and shadows<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Often, there is much discussion on whether a dog should be more of a robot or more of a companion, but really it is these <em>soft-toy<\/em> dogs that need the most attention. They are the ones who suffer most because they are just objects &#8211; with neglected needs, no rights, and no voice.<\/p>\n<p><em>Dogs are great and rewarding to live with, but they are a lot of work and can be very expensive.<\/em> <\/p>\n<p>Do not <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/how-to-get-a-dog-cheap-dog-cheap-puppy\">get a dog<\/a> unless everyone in the family wants to have one, and has the time to put into training, caring, interacting, and fulfilling the dog&#8217;s needs. <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/dog-play-fun-games-to-play-with-your-dog-or-puppy\">Dogs need exercise every day<\/a>, and as pack animals, they also need interaction with their family.<\/p>\n<div id='3212' class='wp-caption frame3 aligncenter' style='width:520px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:520px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/IMG_2329-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"Dogs are neither backyard furniture, organic alarm systems, or soft-toys.\" title=\"Siberian Husky Shania getting a tummy scratch\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3212\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>Dogs are neither backyard furniture, organic alarm systems, or soft-toys.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Dogs are neither backyard furniture, organic alarm systems, or\u00a0 soft-toys.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>We cannot just get a dog to only fulfill our needs, while totally ignoring his needs.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man&#8217;s.<br \/>\n<cite>~~[ Mark Twain, letter to W.D. Howells, 2 April 1899 ]<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What kind of relationship do you have with your dog? Is your dog a robot, a companion, or a soft-toy? Should our dogs follow all our commands, or should we try to get a balance between control and freedom? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[4,113],"tags":[3,402,163,403,404,405,406,407,408,409,45,410],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}