Decades ago, pets spent most of their time outdoors. More often than not, the family pet was named King, Princess or Snookums. Today it’s not uncommon for the family pet to be named Bob, Sally or Suzy. This humanization of the family pet reflects a major change in the way people view their furry companions.
No longer are pets considered merely animals – our pets are now beloved members of the family. In fact, today most of these four-footed family members live inside the home and even sleep in the family bed. Even the term “pet owner” has been changed to “pet guardian” in several U.S. cities, to reflect our pets’ upgraded status.
Because we have taken pets into our human environment, we must learn to integrate them into our lives and help them become part of our human lifestyle. For example, include your pets in conversations, activities and outings. Let them be part of the decision-making process in vacation planning, even types of exercise. If you treat your pet with love and respect, your pet will respond in positive, astonishing ways.
Pets, just like people, have a curious way of living up or down to the image you project for them. Give your pets high expectations considering their own abilities, and they’ll reach for the stars trying to please you.
Conversely, by constantly telling them how displeased you are with their behavior, or micro-managing them into your idea of perfection, you’ll rip apart their self-esteem, making it impossible for them to believe in you and, most of all, in themselves.
The best way to create a confident pet, and a pet that behaves well, is to spend more time focusing on the things the pet does right than those the pet does wrong. It’s important to present a clear picture for your pet of exactly what makes you happy. We all know that pets are willing to please their owners – so when they make mistakes, don’t you think it might be that their owners are sending the wrong signals?
Here’s where family continuity is critical. Take, for example, the call to my radio show in which a woman expressed her discontent with her dog’s jumping on the couch. On the extension, her husband told me that he enjoyed having the dog next to him on the couch.
Understand that pets have emotions and need coping systems to deal with new situations like a new baby, kids going to college and especially divorce. Your family plays a tremendous role in influencing your pet’s personality, intelligence and disposition. So don’t forget to give your pet a hug and a kiss!
Warren Eckstein is the contributing pet and animal editor for NBC’s “Today.” He is the author of 11 books including “How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want” and “How to Get Your Dog to Do What You Want.” Adapted from the book: “The Experts’ Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do,” created by Samantha Ettus. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House Inc.