Liwanu's newest thing is humping. He's done it on and off for the past 7 months or so but never with as much single-mindedness as he is exhibiting right now. Furniture, people, animals and even random objects fall into his desire. It's odd. He's on Tardac (sp?) which is a chemical injection that acts much the same as neutering would. He shouldn't have this urge but for some odd reason, puberty has returned with a vengeance. His overall behavior is improving drastically.
He's madly in love with the kittens who were born to my boss's cat about 3 weeks ago. Is allowing people to walk past us at about 7 feet and even manages to remain sitting and focused when strangers appear to be walking towards us. I'm very proud of him. That, of course, leads me to another small tangent. Several of my friends train and compete in the area of Shutzhund. For those who don't know; Shutzhund is a sport which can be likened to the training a police dog receives in order to trail and apprehend a suspect. The main differences are: Shutzhund teaches the dog to target an obvious target such as a bite-suit or sleeve. They are temperament tested and should not display anti-social behaviors above what an ordinary dog might under stress. Police dogs are not well socialized and are taught to target the actual body of the suspect. That makes them a loaded gun in the wrong hands. While having a discussion on another forum yesterday I do believe, she brought up a very good point which applies to me and the way I tend to treat Liwanu.
"Many American breeding programs have bred out the natural tendencies of many breeds. Take a look at the German Dobies vs. there American counterparts. Two very different dogs....same thing with the GSD and soooo many other breeds. Americans think all dogs should be like labs so we breed for that temperament even if it's wrong. This is not all American programs but it is the majority. That is why on GSD's (and Dobies) we see a split between the working line and show line dogs. It is becoming harder and harder to find a dog that can do the work and place in the conformation ring."
----NATASHA Z CERNA KNEZA
While I don't compete in any field of dog sports nor do I have purebred dogs, I can see how that mindset is causing me to stress about and over-react to Liwanu's behavior. I had false expectations when I first got him. I had the typical 'lab' in mind. He was NOTHING like a lab! (Still isn't). His temperament is unique. Part of it is genetic and the other was learned in the environment he has grown up in. This combination has left me with a GREAT dog! He may never be dumb and overly-friendly (like a lab) but that is ok. He is great at being what and who he is.
He drives me nuts quite frequently however, I have learned more from him than any other dog I've ever met. Through him I've learned to control my temper, keep a tight rein on my emotions (he's what I say is a dog who runs high on emotion) and thoroughly research into things before implementing them. I've learned about training, diet and exercise as well as getting the wonderful opportunity to see my own reflection through him. He is my mirror, when I'm stressed he is cranky and when I'm excited he's hyperactive. This has become a valuable tool in self-realization as well as aiding me in my quest of self-improvement.
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