When you have a new dog it becomes hard to think about anything else. When you wake up the dog is there, when you go to the bathroom the dog is there, when you come home from work the dog is there, and when you are trying to write a blog post the dog is there.
And so it got me thinking. I have been noticing a lot about dog personality types. This came about from my attendance at puppy training classes. Well, that’s what they call them. Actually they are owner training classes. At the classes I took Taylor to there were three little dogs including her, and one rather larger, highly energetic and boisterous Staffie, which terrified me. I don’t know what it is about them but I couldn’t tell whether this aforementioned one was a friend or a foe.
The first week Taylor hid under my seat. I thought she was a bit precious. Wimpy even. I was worried about her psychological state of mind. Was she depressed? Had I already failed as a mother? Don’t be anthropomorphic, my professional dogtraining neighbour told me. I had to look the word up. It means attributing human characteristics to animals, or any other non-human objects for that matter. Hmm, it’s alright for him to say that, heartless male. Did he never watch Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck or Bugs Bunny when he was a child? Mind you, there are some people around who never seemed to have had a childhood. Until they get to about 40, that is.
Week 2 was better. Well to start with, anyway. Taylor crept out from under my chair intermittently to go and snatch some food from the puppy trainer. She would poke the occasional paw at the chihuahua and growl a bit, while retreating hastily back under my chair at the same time. Then the Staffie starting lunging at her, tail wagging furiously while baring sharp teeth. I couldn’t help feeling it was giving mixed messages. I got under the chair with Taylor.
Breakthrough came during Week 3. Taylor and the Staffie had a scrap. There was a lot of yelping. I was triumphant when I realised that it was the Staffie who was yelping. Well not really triumphant. Or maybe just a tiny bit. Final score – Taylor 1, Staffie 0. Who was the wimp now?
I wonder what the opposite of anthropomorphism is. In other words, the qualities of animals such as dogs being transferred to humans. Whatever it is called we should try it. Because it is easy to see that dogs have different personalities from each other and play different roles – you can’t imagine for one second that German Shepherds and Yorkshire Terriers are the same as each other in temperament or physical capability and purpose.
So why do we so often fall in to the trap of thinking that humans are all alike, or should be? That somehow everyone else should think, act or speak the same way that we do. Why do we disapprove when they have different opinions, when they display characteristics we view as weakness, or behave differently from us?
So the next time your work colleagues are really getting your nerves and you notice yourself finding them wanting, ask yourself this question – ‘Ïf I was a dog, what kind would I be?’ And then ask them the same question. You’re probably different breeds. But don’t ask until you see their tails wagging or they might bite you!
. There are still plenty left for you to give me a hand with 
