Dog Blog

Dog Blog:
Preface: I joking asked Beth today “So if it’s a free blog, can I write about anything? Can I write about my dog if I want to?!” She replied that if I can relate my dog to what we’re learning somehow, it’s probably fine. Little did she know, what we’re learning TOTALLY relates to my dog….

After reading the theories and studies of Erik Erikson, I have concluded that my dog suffers from Reactive Attachment Disorder. That is, assuming that human conditions and stages translate in parallel to dog psychology.

I am currently in question of being evicted right now because my landlord says that “my dog barks and disturbs the quiet peace of our neighborhood”. The problem is, I have never seen my dog bark. In fact, my dog is a silent, blissful angel whenever I’m around him and he’s around me. Apparently though, he’s only that way when he is around me. When he’s not, he’s a terrified, freaked out mess. So how can I fix something that only happens when I specifically am not around?

While I can’t quite answer the aforementioned question, and chances are pretty good that I might be asking various cohort members for couch spots sometime soon, I can answer WHY he is doing this!!

According to Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychological Development, my dog, when he was a pup, was not “held during feeding”. In fact, I don’t think he was held at all. When I obtained him at five months of age, he had never even left the patio he’d been born on.

As a wee one, I’m also reasonably sure that he hadn’t been “responded to” in times of distress. Because he was part of an “unforeseen litter” due to an escapade of what I’m pretty sure was the woman/owner going out of town and her husband doing a bit of peyote and “allowing the animals and their spirits to run free”, his mama resembled an irresponsible parent; caught up in the rifts of lust, yet unprepared to deal with the extensive responsibilities of parenthood. And his dad was nowhere to be found. Roaming the hills of Placitas, we think.

Therefore, the treatment and care that my puppy received was the utter opposite of that which Erikson claims is vital to a child’s development: “With consistent, responsive care, they are laying the foundation that will allow babies to grow into strong, confident toddlers ready to assert their independence.” (Mooney, pg. 44). Because of this lack of vital care when he was a “baby”, my dog now seriously lacks the “self confidence” that most floppy, in-your-face dogs possess. When tied to the bike rack in order for me to grab a quick coffee, this little guy shudders and shakes in fear of everything. We call him Courage, the Cowardly Dog.

Thus, when I came into the picture, little Courage latched on to me as the first real care-giving adult in his life. According the Wikipedia definition of Reactive Attachment Disorder, “Children with RAD are presumed to have grossly disturbed internal working models of relationships which may lead to interpersonal and behavioral difficulties in later life.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_attachment_disorder).

He now relies on me as his owner to an inappropriate extent, panicking and not feeling safe whenever I am not around. Thus the barking. Apparently, about ten minutes after I leave most days, he cries and cries. He also has “inhibited” relational behaviors with other people, which tends to manifest itself with running up to people because he’s curious, looking real cute, and then dodging them when they say “aw” and attempt to pet him. Then they always shift their anger toward me, as the owner, for his juke-move.

Now familiar with the complexities of my dog’s freakishness, thanks to Erikson, I can only attempt to move forward in his treatment. Using a Montessori approach, I attempt to make his kennel both a learning friendly and aesthetically pleasing environment. “She thought that the teacher has a responsibility to provide wonderful sights, textures, sounds, and smells for children” (Mooney, pg. 24). I accomplish this through the use of doggy biscuits, chew toys, a peanut-butter filled kong, an interactive maze toy, radio, and a doggy bed. There has been much improvement recorded by the landlord since the Montessori approach has been taken.

I would like to thank both Erik Erikson and Maria Montessori for their ingenious philosophies, theories and research. Through my learning in the MAT program, I have assisted in Courage, The Cowardly Dog’s growth and hopefully prevented my own homelessness.

**A note from the Author:
Although I have written this blog with a tongue-and-cheek tone, all of the events are true. That’s not to say, though, that I am not making fun of both myself and my stupid, dysfunctional dog while playfully using the information learned in the Mooney reading. And yes, you CAN call me a crazy dog lady….it’s still better than being called a crazy cat lady.