During my “fall tour” of pet industry conferences we are revisiting some of my favorite blogs from the past.
I’m happy to report that 3 years later this remains the only dog fight between Sheppy and Archie and their lesson of forgetting the past is still applicable today.
While working in my home office a few weeks ago, I was shocked to hear my dogs fighting in my bedroom. I immediately went to them and found a serious fight going on that was not easy to break-up. Archie and Sheppy have lived together close to four years and growls over high valued treats had been the only signs of aggression previously.
Knowing quite a bit about dog behavior, I knew more information was needed to understand this situation. My first call was not to my training manager at Urban Tails, but to my friend Allison, who communicates with animals. I wanted to hear what both dogs had to say about the incident and their future together. I was relieved and amused to get input that was so typical of my own childhood fights with my sister.
Sheppy thought Archie was stepping on his toes and too pushy. Archie swore he did nothing, but would not back down when challenged. Both said they could continue to live and stay together, but to not tempt them with any new items when alone. We had introduced a new chew that day, but they were not resource guarding them when the fight started.
It took a few days for things to return to normal in our house, but it has. If I had not been here to witness the level of intensity it would be hard for me to believe their aggression toward each other. The lesson for us in how dogs handle confrontation is to be able to let it go. Find the common goal and put past differences behind you and don’t take disagreements personally.
All of us have better days than others and it helps to remember this when we interact with people. Also, keep in mind that all of us have lessons we are here to learn. In hindsight we can often see how handling a difficult situation helped us grow and learn. We can’t take these situations personally, hold grudges and live a peaceful life. When you learn to approach disagreements with an open mind and truly listen to the other person, you can often find an easy resolution that satisfies everyone.
I think we are too quick to stereotype and judge others. Unfortunately, our politicians and news headlines only reinforce this way of living and interacting. This week we honored the anniversary of 9/11 and to me the lesson from that day is to change how we interact with others who are different. Bring an open-mind, love and goal for common ground to misunderstandings instead of fear, hatred and a “my way or the highway” attitude.
This starts in our immediate circle of family, friends and colleagues and I challenge you to set a new example for others. Don’t tolerate or participate in negative talk and gossip about others. Find something you can appreciate in everyone and help others to do the same.
As Archie and Sheppy demonstrated; let go of past issues and enjoy living today in peace and harmony.