James Herriot

My good friend Jeni from Oliva gave me a copy of a book written by James Herriot titled "Dog Stories". I enjoyed every of the 541 pages of the book. Thanks Jeni.

More than a decade ago I started writing articles in several languages about canine education and communication.
According to me, the main obstacle for clear communication between humans and pets is the fact that most of us refuse to accept the dog as a dog. We mostly prefer to handle our dog as if it is a stupid, furry human being with four legs.

No wonder I was thrilled to find on pages 240-241 of James Herriot's book, an example of how the world famous vet could understand the reason why a dog was attacking him. He writes about how he treated a small dog who had swallowed a sausage filled with rat poison. As there was no time to take the dog to his surgery, he grabbed a pot of mustard and diluted it with water to the consistency of milk. Then he seized the astonished dog, shot through the door and dumped him on the cobbles. He poured the liquid mustard into the side of the dog's mouth whence it trickled down to the back of his throat.
I quote from page 240:

"After a single affronted glare at me the terrier began to retch, then to lurch across the smooth stones. Within seconds he had deposited his stolen meal in a quiet corner."

Since then the small dog, remembering what the vet had done to him, started nipping him on the ankle as soon as his "enemy" was in the vicinity. The dog was indeed lying in wait for the human who made him vomit.
I quote from page 241:

"When I thought about it, I couldn't blame Timmy. Looking at it from his point of view, he had been sitting by his fireside digesting an unusual meal and minding his own business when a total stranger had pounded on him, hustled him from the comfort of his rug and poured mustard into him. It was outrageous and he just wasn't prepared to let the matter rest there. For my part there was a certain satisfaction in being the object of a vendetta waged by an animal who would have been dead without my services......So I suffered the attacks with good grace."

Thank you James Herriot.
He was very clearly looking at what happened from the dog's point of view.
He did not call the terrier a BAD dog. He did not blame the dog.
If the world's best-loved vet could do this, are you willing to do it too?
Are you willing to look at your pet from the dog's point of view?
Or will you continue to call your pet a MAD dog, or a BAD dog when he does not understand you?

Kindest regards from Brunothedoglistener.