I grew up around dogs since I was 2 years old. My family lived next to a dog groomer. My sister and I would go over to "help out". This, of course meant we would go play with dogs for most of the day. Being around lots of dogs you see how they work in their mini hierarchies. Dogs, as well as people, are pack animals. So we do share certain similar behaviors. One of those behaviors we share is a leadership hierarchy.
Any hierarchy is built on a "pecking order". This is maintained in the dog world in a series of aggressive behaviors. If you think about it, humans do the same thing. Let me explain that aggressive behaviors can be verbal or non-verbal. What is most important is social context. (Dog bark = Human shout, Dogs bite = Humans hit, and we both shun others creating outcasts)
I spent years observing the dogs that come in and how they socialize with people. Especially when socializing with the owner of the grooming business (head groomer). The head groomer in any dog grooming business NEEDS to be the leader. It has been very interested watching the interaction. To become the leader of those different from us we need to become, in a sense, bilingual. As I said last week, I believe that learning as much as possible (diversity of knowledge) is strength. It takes time and persistence but it is not impossible. I think this is why we, as people enjoy dogs. It is what we like to call the "similar to me" effect.
No comments:
Post a Comment