The Dog in the Bubble
Does anyone reading this remember the movie with John Travolta where he plays a young man with an immune problem and he can only go out in a bubble? (Yes, I know I just dated myself with that reference!)
This past weekend, we encountered a dog whose parents would like it to live in a bubble. Well, I doubt that they would really like the actual bubble concept, but figuratively, this is what they were asking us to do.
“Please make sure he is socialized with as many other dogs as possible, but we don’t want any scratches, scrapes, punctures or anything like that. Oh, and I only want him playing with other puppies.”
The last time I watched a group of puppies playing together I remember them pulling, tugging, scratching, yipping and all of those cute, adorable things puppies do to each other. Ouch, those tiny, little teeth are SHARP! and can do some damage all in the name of fun. And those nails. My goodness, puppy nails are sharp. Those little guys roll around, pulling on an ear, gnawing on a leg, and just generally learning how to play together. When someone yelps, you can see the offender pull back a bit, as though surprised. Sometimes, a nip is returned as a warning. Puppies play hard.
As I listened to the customer’s wish list, I thought of the movie. At one point, this silly image of a dog rolling across the yard in a bubble actually went through my mind and I had to suppress a giggle. Finally, Kirsten explained to them that they can’t have it both ways. If the dog is going to play and be socialized, which they want, there is always the possibility of scrapes, scratches and more. She reminded them that we certainly don’t want that, nor do we encourage it, but things do happen. And so, with some hesitation and crossed fingers, we all took a chance and practiced some puppy socialization. Although he still needs a lot of practice and time playing with others, a bubble isn’t what he needs. While we never want anything bad, even in a small way, to happen to our dog babies, we have to realize that sometimes things will happen. And yes, we need to teach our dogs how to play appropriately, just like we teach our kids how to play appropriately with others. While we teach them, they are learning. If a dog doesn’t like another dog in its face, it lets her know to back off. As social pack animals, this is how they learn. Without a bubble.
Tags: boarding dogs, boarding kennels, dog boarding, dog ownership, dogs playing