"that dog whisperer lady I was telling you about" at Wild Hearts

Thoughts and observations from someone who has been repeatedly introduced as "Nicole Silvers, that dog whisperer lady I was telling you about" I don't whisper to dogs; I eavesdrop on their conversations with each other.

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Monday, June 8, 2009

Are Mistakes OK?

As always, yes... and no. Sometimes. It's not as simple as the question implies. The questions become: When are mistakes ok? What kind of mistakes are ok?

And if we agree that some mistakes ARE ok, then ... What do we do about mistakes? How do we react?

Do we ignore mistakes? Sometimes. When do we ignore them? What kind of mistakes or circumstances or personality dictate ignoring mistakes?

Do we permit natural consequences? Sometimes. When do we permit and when do we shelter? Age, kind of mistake, nature of consequence... Are there other deciding factors?

Do we impose artificial consequences? Sometimes. When do we impose them? What kind do we impose?

Mistakes on the part of the dog can be intentionally or accidentally elicited by us. How do we handle the accidental mistakes? Ignore? Permit natural consequences? Impose artificial ones?

Should we intentionally elicit mistakes? Sometimes. When? How do we respond to intentionally elicited mistakes?

I can't fathom that the humane, effective answers to all these questions are the same for every dog. Oversimplifying what is, in fact, the complicated is a sure sign of a lack of comprehension.
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1 comment:

  1. Jorge GuzmánJune 9, 2009 at 12:23 PM

    Like the post nicole, it's good to hear about mistakes being possible on dog owners. sometimes, just like mothers and father, we can feel we're asked to be perfect every time, and that every mistake is our own fault and needs a correction.

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