This is interesting!
We recently adopted our "Conga". She is a beauty! Black, big, strong with white
eyes, and endowed with the pride of a Labrador. Vet says she's about 14 months,
and partly wolf-dog .. well!
She was probably disposed of, by her previous owners for not being enough of a
watchdog (she hardly barks, but I have seen her defend herself bravely!), and
had been lying there, fed for three days by the entrance service of the unit
where we live. Third day I took my wife by the hand, and showed her the dog.
She melted right away.
Well, as to treatment: I can't remember days in my youth when we did not have
dogs. My old man was just crazy about them. So I know a bad (?) dog when I see
one.
Conga has clearly been ill-treated. I cannot lift a folded newspaper in her
direction, for that brings back bad memories to Conga; same thing with a mop or
a broom-stick, so we don't do that, not even to correct her. She resents a
harsh voice in her way: she just runs. To the streets, where she then survives
for a day or two, then comes back to see us. This happened twice; we raise our
voices to her no more.
When scolded correctively (for eating my wife's plants...) she wil shrink to
half her size, and hide in her corner. After an hour or so she will be back, a
bit more learned.
For that matter: I have not know a more obedient dog in my life. I give her
short clear commands (in Dutch ye ye) and most of the time she listens.
'Most of the time' means that she (like every dog) is always ready to steal
food. Belly full or even over-full, she will tumble the garbage and eat, then
vomit, and start eating again. Being very stern to her (corrective voice or
putting the chain on her neck) helps. She hates the chain, she is a young
street dog, and wants to -and needs to- run and be free.
All our neigbors, aquaintances, children and friends love Conga, and she loves
them. And she looks quite fierce with those white eys!
There was this dog-trainer training a dog one day, and he lectured me about
commands and obedience.
I am sorry: In my experience trained dogs tend to be neurotic. There is
documentation of trained German Pastors killing children. I prefer to keep my
dog in her natural state, playful, funny in her bad-dog ways every now and then
but lovely and quite loyal to us, the hands who fd her.
Conga in her way asks her caress, wants her sweet words, her thrice daily
outings around the unit, and for the remainder does not worth her weight as a
watchdog. But she is a great companion and great fun, and we simply love her.
FaithStFrancis.
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