For half a century, the Lassie stereotype has endured in American hearts and minds. The ideal dog is noble, with the vocabulary of a college student and near- telepathic understanding of what is expected of him. It makes for lovely storytelling, but the imprint left on generations by Lassie and similar fictions, from Dorothy’s Toto to Disney’s Bolt, is one that sets many first-time dog owners up for disappointment and frustration. Oh, we know dogs are not people. But surely, they understand the difference between a chewie and an Italian shoe?
In fact, dogs are more akin to happy-go-lucky aliens trying to plot a course through our strange world of rules and expectations. To better help them, a good place for us to start is with greater understanding of how they see the world. Here, humane education plays a crucial role. The term brings to mind aproned children petting rabbits or fashioning cat toys from strings and feathers- and that’s part of the picture, of course. But in many humane societies and classrooms, the curriculum has greatly evolved. Children now learn about all aspects of animal behavior, training, and care. They talk about cruelty-free shopping and responsible pet guardianship; they invent socialization plans for hypothetical puppies; they witness spay or neuter surgeries and discuss animal population management; they brush dog coast and learn poop scooping technique.
This is important because children educated about dogs are more likely to behave safely around them- meaning dogs are safer, too. Also, dog-savvy children grow up to be dog-savvy adults, a necessity in a world with ever- increasing numbers of dogs living close together. Once primarily the domain of wannabe veterinarians and animal control officers, proficiency in dog behavior and training is today a vital life skill for people in cities and suburbs, whether it’s about navigating a busy sidewalk or keeping the bark frequency and pitch at a level that won’t drive neighbors to distraction. Luckily, humane education programs are more popular than ever and are expanding to allow more kids to get close and personal with pooches.
