SHAKING blog

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

We'd Make Great Pets

Here’s the scene: It's 1:45 A.M., my big TV is tuned to Oprah and I'm laying on my couch, a package of Watermelon Pull-N-Peel Twizzlers on my belly (which, I’m well aware are totally gross, but I needed something sugary and I remembered they'd been in the back of my cabinet for about a year. Fortunately, though, thanks to their chemical composition, they were still soft & mushy.) And I just can’t turn away…

Why? Because my girl, O, is crawling around on her hands and knees in her home in California canoodling with her dog, Sophie. She was doing this location shoot to discuss the quiet shame she feels regarding the anti-social behavior of her beloved pooch: Sophie, it seems, is a biter. Oprah said she thought the problem was that the dog had low self-esteem issues, and she knew somehow she was responsible, despite the fact that she'd treated Sophie like a queen for the past 10 years.


So what is Oprah, arguably the queen of esteem herself, going to do about something like this? Well, she went and recruited a guy known as the Dog Whisperer. (Who knew? I mean Horse Whisperer, Baby Whisperer, sure. But Dog Whisperer? Can't we be a touch more creative? 'Whisperer' is like the psychological equivalent of adding the word "gate" to a scandal.)

But it seems the Dog-Man did right by Sophie, and managed within the space of a commercial break to break Sophie of her decade-long biting binge. For his troubles the Dog Whisperer will undoubtedly have a best selling book out by the end of September. Oprah was thrilled. She again got down on her knees. She cooed at her dog. She made funny faces for her. She sure showed the dog who was boss... and let's just say Sophie will be signing the checks from now on.

But, as a non-pet owner who frequently considers getting a dog for herself (you may call me the Pet-Equivocator), the whole thing makes me wonder what the instinct is that makes people treat pets like babies. I know people who have strollers for their doggies. I know people who dress their doggies up in little leather jackets. I know folks who cook gourmet meals for their dogs. That’s a little nutty, no?

Am I just heartless? Is this another insight about my maternal instinct. Or is it that we’ve become so domesticated ourselves that the thought of an animal acting like an animal is too painful for us? So what’s my modest proposal? I say let bitches be bitches and let them run free. After all, it’s what I do myself...

26 Comments:

Blogger Robin said...

Yes, sadly it's that "lot of work" part that I find a wee bit frightening. That and the whole concept of wee wee pads...

And Alison Pace (who has her own fab blog at www.AlisonPace.com) alerted me that this noticed just appeared on Publisher's Lunch:

29 August, 2005
Non-fiction:
How-To
Paul Owens and Norma Eckroate's THE DOG WHISPERER: A Compassionate,
Non-Violent Approach to Dog Training Revised, an introduction to dog
training based upon rewarding "successive approximations" of correct
behavior, to Kate Epstein at Adams Media, in a nice deal, by Lisa Hagan
at Paraview Literary Agency (world). lhagan@paraview.com

How great is that? Not just the whole book thing is happening, but that it was purchased by someone named "Epstein." No relation, trust me!

August 31, 2005 4:53 PM  
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October 26, 2005 1:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a great blog here Robin, searching for information on attack dog training has brought me here. Although We'd Make Great Pets is not exactly what I am looking for it certainly got my attention and interest. I see now why I found your blog looking for information on attack dog training and am glad I stopped by even though this is not a perfect match. Great blog thanks for the read.

November 20, 2005 1:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well done on a nice blog Robin. My friend actually sent me a link to this blog post and I have to admit, theres some pretty good info here but nothing I could find on dog training techniques specifically. Although We'd Make Great Pets is not exactly what I am looking for it certainly got my attention and interest. I was looking for information on dog training techniques but am glad I stopped by even though this is not a perfect match.

November 22, 2005 8:57 AM  
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We'd Make Great Pets

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November 30, 2005 6:28 AM  
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December 01, 2005 8:52 AM  
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December 05, 2005 4:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We'd Make Great Pets

Hey Robin, you got an interesting blog here! I'm definitely bookmarking you right now!

I have a hot tub chemical blog. It pretty much covers
hot tub chemical related stuff.

Come and check out hot tub chemical if you get time :-)

December 10, 2005 2:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love your blog Robin. How long has it been on-line? Reason I ask is I am doing a ton of work in the area of maui discount hotels and will probably end up starting a blog of my own. Funny how the internet brought me here when I was doing searches on maui discount hotels. Oh well, I am glad it did. Keep up the great blogging and I am sure I will visit We'd Make Great Pets again!!

December 11, 2005 11:39 AM  
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Hey Robin. Very nice blog :0) I just got inside from washing and waxing my truck. It is my baby. Took me 2 hours though. So I settled down into my basement and started doing some web surfing. Anyways I am in the process of grabbing my masters degree and have spent the last 6 months researching philadelphia hotel discounts. In the midst of my surfing I landed smack dab in the middle of your blog. I hope you do not think I am intruding but I must say it is great blog. Even though We'd Make Great Pets is way off base from philadelphia hotel discounts I found myself cruising through your blog archives for the last half hour :0) You have some nice blogging friends. Anyways, I need to get back to my mission. I wrote don’t your url and feel free to visit me here at philadelphia hotel discounts. I am so busy so I can only update my site monthly. Keep up the great work.

December 12, 2005 11:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We'd Make Great Pets

Hey Robin, you have a pretty good blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you!

I have a spa chemical swimming pool site. It pretty much covers
spa chemical related stuff.

Come and check out spa chemical if you get time, Nice going !

December 13, 2005 1:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey this blog is not about hotel discount codes. Silly internet bringing me here :-) Funny I have been doing hours of research on hotel discount codes and it brought me to your blog on We'd Make Great Pets. The web plays funny games sometimes. Anyways, I was reading your blog Robin and I think it is really cool. Keep up the great work.
If you do not mind I may snag your blog and put it in my favorites. I read a ton of stuff that interested me. Keep blogging away :-)

December 13, 2005 6:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sad to say I just got back from a bowling tournament and decided to log in and do some websurfing. Robin I love your blog. I had some very good laughs. I am doing a paper on key west discount hotels and have been downloading information for the last hour. I don’t know how I came across We'd Make Great Pets but I am glad I did. It has set me back a little because I have spent the last hour reading your archives. If you don’t mind I would like to add you to my favorites so I can back again and read some more. Well I need to get back to key west discount hotels . I am almost finished with it. Great job.
p.s some very good points on your blog

December 14, 2005 9:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have been on-line searching for hours for information regarding philadelphia hotel discounts and stumbled across your blog during my journey :-) Robin your blog is really amazing! Keep up the great work. Obviously my search on philadelphia hotel discounts was way off when compared to We'd Make Great Pets and find it funny how it landed me here. The internet is a funny thing. Anyways, great job on your blogging and keep up the good work! I been searching for philadelphia hotel discounts for over 2 hours and needed a break from it. I started reading your blog and really enjoyed it.
P.S I will add you to my favorites so I can come back and visit later

December 15, 2005 8:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have been on-line searching for hours for information regarding cheap discount hotels and stumbled across your blog during my journey :-) Robin your blog is really amazing! Keep up the great work. Obviously my search on cheap discount hotels was way off when compared to We'd Make Great Pets and find it funny how it landed me here. The internet is a funny thing. Anyways, great job on your blogging and keep up the good work! I been searching for cheap discount hotels for over 2 hours and needed a break from it. I started reading your blog and really enjoyed it.
P.S I will add you to my favorites so I can come back and visit later

December 16, 2005 7:24 PM  
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