In the midst of her laughter she finally said, “That was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I wish I had it on video. It makes my day.” Unfortunately, hers was not the only comment with a similar ring to it. It had not been my intent to be the brunt of anybody’s joke, but hey, “I can dish it out and I can also take it”.
She was obviously exaggerating when she said, “That makes my day,” but I’m sure I looked pretty comical. Wasn’t that the same line Clint Eastwood used in the movie Dirty Harry? I guess not. As I recall, he was pointing a gun at someone when he said, “Go ahead, make my day.” That does have somewhat of a different connotation.
My intent was to be helpful. A group of folks who’d come to our home for Thanksgiving asked my daughter and son-in-law if they could stop by and see their new home. Of course they were delighted to provide a home tour. Their home really is quite different. The architecture and design is very contemporary and the windows are strategically placed to provide a panoramic view of the outside.
That is where my intent to be helpful was showcased for those inside the home to see. When we arrived, I insisted on taking Samson (their one year old, one hundred pound, excitable dog) for a walk before he trampled someone. The dog is good-natured and would not knowingly hurt anyone, but in his playfulness others could be at risk. Folks who represent the epitome of good mental health would not want to be pummeled by a dog even if it was his intent to only be friends.
Apparently the tug of war that ensued between Samson and me clearly fell into the category of slapstick comedy. Those inside the house were confident that Samson would emerge the victor. They obviously don’t know me well enough. It isn’t that I never lose, but I was not going to be mincemeat for Samson.
Of course the dog had a couple of things going for him that I didn’t have. He has the brute strength of a bulldozer and the speed of a Porsche. It didn’t take me long to understand how Samson had been responsible for Kevin jumping off the porch a couple of weeks ago and breaking his foot. Kevin didn’t jump, he was pulled. Putting a leash on Samson is like the starting signal of the Kentucky Derby. The dog is off and running.
It only took half a second for me to understand the pain associated with a rope burn. As the leash was pulled through my hand, I had the sensation that it was cutting into my skin. Fortunately, it did not. I didn’t find any blood. However, I did resolve that I was ultimately going to be the winner in our tug of war.
I am strange, but as Samson was attempting to get me to go at his pace rather than mine, I wondered if the “flight or fight” syndrome in a dog’s brain is similar to that in a human. Perhaps, when a dog is in the midst of flight, the ability to cognitively process verbal commands is limited. It is certainly that way in humans. All of the verbal commands I was making of Samson were unheeded.
As Samson and I made our way down the very long driveway, I thought about my paternal grandfather. He told lots of stories about breaking horses used for plowing fields. He relied on the introduction of pain as a catalyst for teaching the horse to yield to his verbal commands. His approach in dealing with Samson would have been very different than the one I was choosing to use.
Of course, before any methodology could be effective, Samson had to stop running. I wondered if the use of a shock collar would be an effective tool. As Samson was dragging me down the driveway, I’m sure I had a smile on my face with the very thought. I almost convinced myself that it might be worthy of consideration. Last night as I thought more about it, I discounted that technique as well.
Half a lifetime ago when I worked for the State of Texas in residential child care licensing, an “expert” in the field of working with autistic children requested the State of Texas to revise minimum standards for residential treatment centers to allow the use of faradic stimulation when serving autistic children. Any changes in standards were subject to a 60-day review and comment period and included a public hearing while those responsible for standard development reviewed the comments and made recommendations to the board of the State agency. There were a number of proposed changes circulated for review and comment. One of the changes included parameters regarding the use of faradic stimulation.
Prior to the public hearing, a request was made from a medical doctor in Amarillo, TX for a representative of the State to meet with a group of interested persons in Amarillo. I was the token representative the State chose to send to Amarillo. It proved to be a very informative setting.
The doctor had done her homework. The meeting was well attended by health care professionals. She also made arrangements for me to be interviewed by a television station. While Amarillo may have the notoriety of being the location where the Texas Beef Producers Association filed a lawsuit against Oprah for comments related to tainted beef and Mad Cow disease, those same folks did NOT want cattle prods to be used on children. Good for them! The input they provided was the catalyst that turned the tide against the possible use of faradic stimulation.
At one point, Samson slowed and I had the sense he was calmer and at least open to verbal communication. I rubbed his chest and talked to him with kind words. Did I mention I was greatly relieved that we were no longer playing tug of war?
I wish I could tell you that Samson was completely calm, responding positively to verbal commands and well on his way to eliminating behaviors that could inadvertently hurt someone by the time our fifteen minutes of togetherness came to an end. Unfortunately, I cannot. However, I have made some progress. I am now convinced that my being the winner in a tug of war with Samson doesn’t mean that he has to lose.
All My Best!
Don