I am a big fan of Cesar Millan so I hope he won’t be offended if I paraphase one of his “mantras”. Dogs are first dogs, then they are a specific kind of dog like a Pug, Beagle, etc.
That concept made an impression on me! It made me realize that I was treating my beagles different from my English Shepherds not because they were different but because of some implied differences.
My pugs however set me staight about where the line between being dogs and a specific breed began. I brought Wu, my fawn male when he was about 5 months of age. His early months have been restricted and I set off to let him learn to be a dog.
After about a week or so at the ranch, I let him outside to go to the bathroom and didn’t go with him. He took off. I watched him from the window go down the side of the horse paddock. After about 300 yards, I was sure he would come back. Nope.
He went out of sight. I thought it was time to rethink my plan. I went out looking for him, calling his name. I looked down the country road, in the horse paddock and circled around the other side of the horse looking down to the barns.
Amazingly, there on a side of a barn was little fawn pug. I walked down and called his name and he calmly walked over to me and followed me back to the house.
Now you think that I would have learned my lesson but I was sure that Cesar was right. He has to be a dog. He has to have dog instincts. The next day I let him out again. This time I was more prepared and I kept a more watchful eye on him. Again he wandered around. Like he was lost. Couldn’t related to wide open space. Again I had to go and get him.
This went on for a few more days. I began to get frustrated. Maybe pugs weren’t dogs? Maybe Wu was mentally challenged? Maybe I was crazy??
I was just about to throw in the towel. I uttered some words about “if he is too deranged to find his way home, he needs a different environment.” BINGO! Wu figured it out.
Now he is the Farm Pug. He rides the 4 wheeler! Moves freely around the farm. He can be found in the house sleeping on a vent. On the back porch capturing the breeze. Sunning himself beside the edge of the stallion barn.
Ah, I thought. Cesar was right. Pugs are first dogs and then pugs. I thought I understood till Opie showed me the line where pugs stop being dogs and begin to be pugs…..