Weighted Relationships
““If we don’t fiercely protect their right for freedom and break them loose of the control, intimidation, force, bribery, manipulation, and unnecessary restrictions we have imposed on them, they too will face extinction in the near future.” ”
I think that people don’t want to believe that our actions have any impact on a living being — on their wellness, their longevity, their ongoing success in the future, their continuing to thrive. But when you think about how we have lived with dogs in the past and objectively compare and contrast how we are living with them today, it begins to really draw awareness into an important question: What does create extinction for a living being?
Obviously, there are many different ways or things that contribute to one’s survival. And when I think of extinction, that’s what I am thinking about — one’s survival. For me, it’s a very real idea to have in my mind. When I was 10, I saw the president of our country at that time pour gasoline over 12 tons of ivory, which he set on fire as a statement against poaching. And you have to remember, there was a time that we didn’t think that elephants would become extinct or endangered.
There are many ways that an animal’s survival or ability to survive can lessen. Not that the same exact manner in which elephants have become endangered is true for dogs. However, I believe, as someone who is devoted to the success of the captive, domesticated, restricted, dog’s ability to survive, there is so much more to the wellbeing of dogs than providing care. I’m not just talking about the day in and day out; I am talking about their ability to thrive, to increase their wellness, their wellbeing. It is so much more than just providing care for the day or providing training so that the human can be successful in communicating with the dog. It is about asking ourselves what these dogs’ needs are and how can we meet those needs in a way that ultimately allows them to enhance their living existence in a powerful way.
Teena Patel is the founder of the canine enrichment campus University of Doglando for restricted canine companions. The University of Doglando is a place where dogs can be dogs and live a fruitful and purposeful lifestyle. To learn more about Teena Patel and the University of Doglando, please contact us online or call us at (407) 574-3160.