“Dakota was angry I stayed out all night, so he chewed up my favorite Marc Jacobs slippers.”
“So what did you do?” I asked.
“I spanked him on the behind. It was so obvious that he did it to get back at me!”
“Okay, let me explain Dakota’s actions from his point of view. You have to realize that dogs have no concept of time. A couple of hours to you can seem like an eternity to your dog. What do you think Dakota does when you’re away? Trust me, he’s not surfing the internet or watching the WB. He’s either sleeping or chewing on something. So, if your dog is missing you, what’s the first thing he’s going to want to do? Be with you. And what’s the next best thing when you’re not around? Something that stinks heavily of you: remote controls, sunglasses, sofas, and even your favorite Marc Jacobs slippers. So, in a sense, you just spanked your dog for missing you.”
My client’s eyes swelled up with guilt-ridden tears… and for good reason.
Understanding Your Pet’s Behavior
Just as it was difficult to accept the reality that Santa Claus didn’t exist, so must the time come when you realize that dogs aren’t mentally capable of “getting back at us.” Revenge is a rather complex thought process that’s reserved for us, more advanced and civilized beings.
Cut to my revelation:
Several years ago, I had a cat named Phoenix, who had her spleen removed due to cancer. After the surgery, she had to go on steroids, which caused an increase in her appetite. Suddenly, early in the morning, she would crawl up on my pillow and meow incessantly, placing her paw on my face, pleading for food. This drove me crazy. A 5:00 a.m. routine became increasingly annoying. So, one night, I wore earplugs, and when she started up, I threw the covers over my head and ignored her. Guess what? She peed all over the bed! I was so angry because I just knew she was doing this to “get back at me.”
When I calmed down, I began to think from Phoenix’s point of view. This was my first epiphany in animal behavior. The steroids were making her ravenous. Consequently, she jumped on the bed, pleading for food. She didn’t understand nor care that I had consumed vast quantities of margaritas the night before; she was simply starving. This was stressful for her. She was trying to wake me up to feed her, and she also had a full bladder. To her, she was focused on her very primal instinct, which revolved around finding food to survive, not taking a trip to the cat box to pee. She continued her efforts to wake me, and suddenly, (possibly due to the stress of the situation), her bladder became so full that she just couldn’t hold it, and she released – not to get back at me, but because she simply had to eliminate.
Please do me a favor: the next time you think your pet has sought revenge on you, try looking at it from their point of view. It will liberate both you and your animal companion.
