from Dunia Rahwan
Dogs love pooh, the sooner we accept it, the sooner we can start to understand them. Denying this wild component is like looking at them only halfway, and this applies as much to the Neapolitan mastiff as to the fox faces of Pomerania: dogs are and remain animals. Our faithful life companions began the path of domestication from wild species like the wolf, and other canids found in their DNA, such as the jackal, "only" 33 thousand years ago, and they have retained a lot of the wild characteristics of their ancestors. Moreover, let’s not forget that over 80% of dogs on Earth live free, without owners, in close contact with the more or less natural environment. When I launched @dunia_animalara on my Instagram page, and the hashtag #ioamoloschifo, (#Iloveyuck), I had one goal: to offer an extra tool that helps in the understanding of our beloved dogs, to respect them and to establish a relationship of trust and compassion.
The story begins with garbage
Do not be surprised if the dog is a professional garbage cleaner skilled at perceiving a fried chip that has fallen under a park bench 500 meters away, and that it can gallop at top speed to gobble the chip up before it's rightful human owner reaches it to pull it away. After all, dogs' ancestors reduced their distance from man as they intuited how his presence represented a source of easy to find food. In the past, in fact, when there was still no plastic, aluminium, glass and cardboard, human waste was either wet or faeces, a greedy feast for animals. In other words, dogs have learned that where there is man there is food they can eat, just don’t be too picky!
The re-instated yuck
The #Iloveyuck philosophy began to take shape after the adoption of Dustyboy, my rescue Labrador.
The legendary Boiler (he has many names) had, and still has, several behavioural problems and I tried to help him, but I almost always failed. I saw him suffering, oscillating between depression and anxiety, and we were always stuck, he an anarchist insurrectionist, I a maniacal controller, an explosive mix. Then I finally realized that the relationship with the Boar had to start from the acceptance of his being, that is, I had to accept the King of Yuck. For weeks, I caught him eating dead carrion, sometimes rubbing on it first before devouring it, and I avoid dwelling on his passion for human faeces, which are rather unappealing stories to tell. Doing that, eating whatever he could find, he was reducing his anxiety, and it made me angry. I was and I still am horrified when he shows off his mater chef skills in front of me, but I have learned not to take it too seriously, if I can avoid it, otherwise I save the saveable and I keep away from his tongue for at least 24 hours. By accepting him for what he is, a dog, a Labrador, a madman, our relationship has changed, improved. Conflicts have diminished, his anxiety is under control, he is less stubborn and more cooperative. We have learned to love each other. For the record, Dustyboy has become much better at managing bulimic impulses, and is currently focused on his perpetual search of a female. My eternal teenage boy.
Dogs love pooh, the sooner we accept it, the sooner we can start to understand them. Denying this wild component is like looking at them only halfway, and this applies as much to the Neapolitan mastiff as to the fox faces of Pomerania: dogs are and remain animals. Our faithful life companions began the path of domestication from wild species like the wolf, and other canids found in their DNA, such as the jackal, "only" 33 thousand years ago, and they have retained a lot of the wild characteristics of their ancestors. Moreover, let’s not forget that over 80% of dogs on Earth live free, without owners, in close contact with the more or less natural environment. When I launched @dunia_animalara on my Instagram page, and the hashtag #ioamoloschifo, (#Iloveyuck), I had one goal: to offer an extra tool that helps in the understanding of our beloved dogs, to respect them and to establish a relationship of trust and compassion.
The story begins with garbage
Do not be surprised if the dog is a professional garbage cleaner skilled at perceiving a fried chip that has fallen under a park bench 500 meters away, and that it can gallop at top speed to gobble the chip up before it's rightful human owner reaches it to pull it away. After all, dogs' ancestors reduced their distance from man as they intuited how his presence represented a source of easy to find food. In the past, in fact, when there was still no plastic, aluminium, glass and cardboard, human waste was either wet or faeces, a greedy feast for animals. In other words, dogs have learned that where there is man there is food they can eat, just don’t be too picky!
The re-instated yuck
The #Iloveyuck philosophy began to take shape after the adoption of Dustyboy, my rescue Labrador.
The legendary Boiler (he has many names) had, and still has, several behavioural problems and I tried to help him, but I almost always failed. I saw him suffering, oscillating between depression and anxiety, and we were always stuck, he an anarchist insurrectionist, I a maniacal controller, an explosive mix. Then I finally realized that the relationship with the Boar had to start from the acceptance of his being, that is, I had to accept the King of Yuck. For weeks, I caught him eating dead carrion, sometimes rubbing on it first before devouring it, and I avoid dwelling on his passion for human faeces, which are rather unappealing stories to tell. Doing that, eating whatever he could find, he was reducing his anxiety, and it made me angry. I was and I still am horrified when he shows off his mater chef skills in front of me, but I have learned not to take it too seriously, if I can avoid it, otherwise I save the saveable and I keep away from his tongue for at least 24 hours. By accepting him for what he is, a dog, a Labrador, a madman, our relationship has changed, improved. Conflicts have diminished, his anxiety is under control, he is less stubborn and more cooperative. We have learned to love each other. For the record, Dustyboy has become much better at managing bulimic impulses, and is currently focused on his perpetual search of a female. My eternal teenage boy.
Children grow healthier in the presence of pets
We care a great deal about the hygienic aspect when we live with pets, even though all the scientific studies confirm that living with animals trains and strengthens the immune system, especially if cohabitation begins when young. Dogs and children find their germ and bacteria balance through play, exchanging kennels and games along with saliva and drool. Yet, these children are incredibly alive, indeed healthier and stronger! In addition, our crusade to combat yuck goes against the needs of the dog, which must find its smell in its kennel to be able to fall asleep serenely, which struggles to defend itself from the cold if we wash away the lipid film on the skin with shampoo, which needs to dig to relieve stress while we leave it alone when we go out to dinner to enjoy ourselves. What I mean is, in order to respect the dog, we have to respect its identity, even when we find it a little annoying.
Gifts from differentiated waste
My anthem to the love of yuck ends with a common sense tip: avoid buying a thousand expensive toys, which usually the dog disintegrates in an hour. You have a mine of dog toys in your house, only you do not know it: clothes and covers in wool and fleece can become soft braids to bite and play with. Plastic containers are perfect for cognitive games: Just hide a juicy reward inside and the dog will do everything to get it out. Delivery boxes are ideal for satisfying the desire to destroy, especially for the most neurotic puppies and dogs, and hiding food inside the box also trains their sense of smell. For adult dogs, old toy animals stuffed with cotton wool are a perfect prey for killing practice. Open cabinets, take a look in the cellar, you will surely find a gift for your dog to munch on or disintegrate. For us it is just old stuff, while for dogs it can represent an inexhaustible, new and unexpected source of enjoyment. Have fun!
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