Walking The Dog

The day started out fine as I took the dog out for a walk. The walk started out fine as the puppy was glad to get out for a walk. Somewhere in the middle of the journey it all changed, however. All of a sudden, the dog started nipping and teething. Unfortunately this is not all that uncommon for him and, since I was wearing shorts, the ankle bitter was becoming very annoying.

I tried to get him to stop using the methods we learned in training class but they didn't work. I decided to try some of those methods others have suggested such as pushing him out of the way with my knees (not hard and not hurting him), yelling at him and putting my hands on him to show I was dominate. None of these methods were causing pain to the dog (and none of these methods were working either).

A man in one of the nearby houses came out to make sure that everything was okay. When I assured him it was, he started chastising me, telling me I shouldn't be hurting the dog and that he seemed very friendly and like a good boy. I was glad someone came out to check but I really did not appreciate the comments, which were not at all helpful.

As a teacher, I find that this is a constant battle, knowing what to say when. Sometimes, even though you feel a certain way, you need to stay quiet, even if it is a critique on a speech. A person should not be overwhelmed with too much information. Other times, it is important to make comments. Either way, you need to be careful of what you say and how you say it. I have already had a student tell me there is no such thing as constructive criticism, that criticism is criticism.

When making comments, of course, it is important to have all the facts. The man who came out and chastised me clearly did not have all the facts.