Is it a trope, or is it me?

[DameofGnomes]

On the slightest of reasons, people are ready to comment 'You are spoiling that dog' or, worse, 'Who's in charge, you or the dog?' People seem to want to compete with each other about who is best at dominating dogs. I suspect this is a trope.

People are just primates and primate social structure IS based around power struggles, dominance and hierarchy. So we are already vulnerable to the suggestion that other social groups operate in that way.

Plus, while we often talk about dog's being man's best friend that's not often what we want. Rarely do people want a living animal with it's own ideas and wants and needs and imperfections. What they want is something to love but that does exactly what the human wants at all times. This is rarely a realistic gal but instead of admitting to ourseleves that we are expecting the impossible, we try to find a way to achieve it without much effort. It's too tempting to think that we only need to impose stronger rules, often meaning stronger consequences for 'breaking' the rules.

We're the same with other humans. Think about traditonal work environments... you're off sick too much and what is the normal solution offered? Greater discipline greater consequences for the person who is unwell. There are literally a thouand examples like this in human social life.

So, whilst I an bang on as much as the next person about the risk and moral quadmire of using punishment for dog training, I also try hard to remember that people are just animals too, trying to make sense of the world they expwrience through the filter of their own biology and instinct...