The Cane & the Rolled up Magazine

A friend of mine is the proud owner of 3 large dogs, a German short hair, a 9 month old malamute, and a black mutt. She insists that the dogs have to stay indoors. As anyone with animals knows the more of them you have, the more you have to control them. This is very much the issue here. My friend lives with her elderly mother, who if it weren't for a bum leg, is one feisty woman. There are times when my friend is out of the house and her mother is left with the chore of managing the 3 large canines. This can be somewhat of a task for her as they are large and boisterous and she is not as agile on her legs as in earlier days. Yet each time when I see her with the animals they are calmly sitting at her feet.

This is far from the case if I experience the dogs in the presence of my friends. They are jumping, barking, and doing anything but behaving in a mannerly way. She yells at them to come to which they give little if any attention. They are consistently on all fours running circles around her or jumping to gain her attention. I often wondered what it was that made the dogs differ so in there behavior between the two. One would think that since the dogs belonged to my friend, that their obedience would be first and foremost to her. The lack of movement on the movement , one would think would lead the dogs to think that they had run of the house when she was home alone. All the things that were forbidden could be done at this time as she would never be able to catch them in time to do any harm to them.

I asked the mother recently how she managed to get the dogs to behave in such an orderly manner. She smiled at me and looked to her right and patted the cane that lay beside her on the sofa. It is because they know that I will knocked them over the head with my cane if they do anything that they are not suppose to she said boldly. She continued to say, I may not be the alpha male but they respect me as the bad ass old lady of the house. It was near this time that the daughter came into the room hearing the tail end of our conversation. Her mother than stated, she refuses to use the cane. If she disciplines them this is what she uses. She lifted a rolled up magazine off the table. And sometimes she thinks that is too cruel.

Never had I ever seen the mother hit the dogs with her cane, however they were well aware of the fact that she would if it needed to be done. Many times I had seen the daughter yell and swing the magazine at the dogs. Yet even if she struck them they continued their ruckus. Why because they knew there was little if no consequence to their action. They could do almost anything and the worst thing that could happen was a little spake with the magazine.

This comparison soon helped me to realize the difference in the personality of the mother and the daughter. Whereas the mother is brash and ballsy and has no problem saying what she feels or thinks, the daughter is timid and quiet and afraid of hurting others feelings, therefore forfeiting her own in most times. The mother is willing to do what need be to get what she wants or to get done what needs be, whereas the daughter walks softly being careful to not disrupt things around her and at times giving up things done the way she would like as to not make a fuss.

So, which one are you. Are you the cane or the rolled up magazine. At times a happy medium needs to be established. However, I think I prefer the cane. It need only be used once or twice and then only its presence is necessary. Something to think about at least... Until next time

Peace
Janie

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