DEKKER'S WISDOM FOR PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS

Dekker says that writing this column is hard work and sometimes he falls asleep while working. There is so much to read and understand about human behavior and he wants to bring you well-informed responses to your requests.

If this is your first time to “The Dog House”, and you want to know more about this unusual dog, be sure to visit Dekker’s Page and read more of his advice to humans, and about his own education at NEADS.

NICHOLAS HAS A CRISIS OF FAITH

Dear Dekker,

My idea of God is that God controls the whole
universe and is in charge of heaven and hell. My friend says
God is whatever you believe, and that he doesn’t believe.
What do you think about God?

Thank you, Nicholas

Woof, Nicholas, I don’t think much. Especially about God. God is not an idea, so I am not missing anything. But I can feel God.

When my person brushes my coat and scratches my ears, I feel loved. When I get to run free outside with my friend Millie, a golden retriever, I feel excited and happy. (It helps that I think she is cute).

When I smell the tracks of visitors in our yard, I feel curious and become alert.

And when I curl up with Merton and Moxie, two cats I live with, I feel their heartbeat and soft tongues cleaning my ear as if it were their own.

I wonder if they feel like a dog? I say woof woof – stop thinking about God and enjoy the feel.

CELESTE QUESTIONS THE INTELLIGENCE OF A DOG

Dear Dekker,

My Uncle Joe has a seeing-eye dog
named Sparks, and I don’t understand how the dog
knows when Joe is about to step off a curb or run into a post
when they are walking. Sparks will stop in his tracks and refuse to move,
even if told to keep going. I thought service dogs
are taught to obey all commands. Do you
honestly think they are smart enough
to make decisions for themselves?

Thank you, Celeste

Woof, Celeste, woof!!! – If dogs are not smart, why are you writing to one for advice! Really! Woof! I know a lot of people who don’t make intelligent decisions. But Woof! I won’t bark up that tree.

What is essential is that Uncle Joe trusts his dog, and that trust is what Sparks knows. Wherever there is a deep trust in any relationship, both people and dogs are a lot safer.

PROBLEMS SLEEPING?

Dear Dekker

I have a problem with sleep.
My doctor wants me to get a lot more sleep
than I do, but I can’t seem to stay in dreamland.
How do you sleep so long? And how are you
so alert when you do open
your eyes? It takes me
forever to wake up.

Thank you, Malachi

Woof, Malachi, woof. I may look asleep, but really I am just resting with my eyes shut. Do you ever do that during the day? The kind of sleep where you are “gone to the world” is not as long as you think, for either humans or dogs.

But I notice humans don’t get much rest during the day. Naps are wonderful! When your eyes are open, you read or watch TV. And your ears are always listening to people talking.

I would be exhausted if I used my eyes and ears as much as people do. Or even my nose.

When I rest, I rest. WOOF.

When I sleep, I sleep. WOOF.

And when I wake up, my eyes and my ears and my nose all wake up with me. They have had plenty of rest.

Perhaps giving your nose a rest would help? Woof Woof

AN OVERWHELMED MOTHER ASKS FOR HELP

Dear Dekker,

I am overwhelmed with little kids.
They are defiant and unruly, and I didn’t raise
them to be that way. I can’t get them to obey anything
I ask, and they are taking over my life.
My dog is better behaved than
they are.

Please Help! Audry.

Woof Woof, Audry. A well-trained pup is fun to be around and brings its owner a lot of joy. I watch babies being cradled and pampered, but when they are big enough to chase their tails and leave toys everywhere, there is no more praise—only correction.

The only time I hear sharp words is when I am in danger – like a car is in my path. It is so unusual that I listen.

My favorite game is “put it away,” and I get to find my toys and drop them in the bag—Lot’s of love and laughter (and a little kibble) with this game.

I even get rewarded for putting my dish in the dishwasher, am never punished when I pee on the floor, and by standing by the door to get let out, I get a fantastic pat on the head and everyone is happy.

Once I chewed a cat toy because I thought it was mine. They don’t make those toys very tough, do they? My owner said, ‘leave it”, and the moment I released the toy, I received a piece of kibble. It seems every time I hear ‘Leave it!’ there is a reward to follow.

Sometimes the prize is a look of love in my person’s eyes and a big smile. I will do anything for that!

I suggest getting a book on how to train a dog, and you will learn that punishment (grrrr) never works. It only creates a frightened dog who fights back.