Rescue Journal

solutions to problems don't have to be complicated

Carol  ·  Feb. 14, 2010

they don't have to wow you with ingenuity and creativity...they just have to work. if we looked for simple and easy to implement solutions to problems with our pets BEFORE they spiral out of control...maybe a lot of dogs would not lose their homes.

what i find interesting is that when i suggest an easy solution to some dog's "BIG...about to lose his home" problem...ie if the dog is barking in the yard and bugging the neighbors...my answer is...bring him in the house.
...people look at me like i am stupid. what? did you want me to say something more complicated..more intelligent, more inspiring...like...every time your dog barks, run outside and make him sit, lay down and stay...distract him from the behavior and work at practice of his basic commands, several times a day?
...come on here...if he is out barking in the yard all alone enough to bug everyone with his barking...the chances of someone actually investing in a time intensive and committed training routine of behavior modification are pretty freaking slim....bring him in the house...barking and bugging the neighbors problem is solved.

but you know what?
folks do not want simple solutions...they want the hard ones...why? well first, if you do follow thru and manage to stick with it...you are a freaking hero..that took a lot of time, effort, dedication and hard work on your part...the dog? oh yeah, he was there too.

but mostly i think the real reason is...a lot of people actually want the solution to fail. in their heads that dog is already out of here so they just go thru the motions so they can say they really did everything they could.
above all else remove the guilt.
which kind of failure would you rather be...the kind that would not simply open the door and bring the dog in? or the one who tried (sort of but not really) this whole complicated training program and gee, despite the heroic efforts...it still did not work?

most folks prefer to blame the dog..it is easier and gets them off the hook.

common sense is not something that goes naturally with living with animals...it is a lot about the illusion, the impression, the wow factor, if it ain't complicated, it ain't good...simply effective is nothing special...simple common sense is dying in our world.

Comments

Mauro Salles

LOL! Answer in two short(?) parts.

(1) I live in São Paulo City, Brazil. In short, Brazil is a very big country, full of contradictions. On the one hand most of the population lives in poverty and have no access to information or education, thanks to the prevalence of corrupt politicians and despite great natural wealth. On the other hand, is a happy people, friendly and hospitable. I knew (and know) many foreigners who loved Brazil and said that has no correlation with the projected image in the world. For instance, it is not easy to find snakes in the streets, there aren't shootings all the time, anywhere, and bananas are purchased in supermarkets (LOL! LOL! LOL!). Despite the peculiarities and difficulties, brazilian people are normal people, living normal lives like any other place in the world, even without snow and temperatures below zero (LOL again).

(2)Animals? The conditions are very similar to what I follow virtually on the Internet, all over the world: there are organizations that care for abandoned animals (adoption programs included), sanctuaries for wildlife and refuges for old animals. But the cruelty is the same, especially with pets. There are news about dogs left to die or subjected to extreme violence and mutilation.

IT'S A GLOBALIZED WORLD!! Last LOL for today!!!!!

Carol

i remember that you are in south america..but can't remember which country. what is it like there for animals?...is it the same as here...some good, some bad, some beyond terrible, is it the same all over the world? what is it like where you live?

Mauro Salles

Oh, Carol! Today I'm overly sarcastic humor, but not "down". I agree with you and I know many good people, acting in an authentic manner and giving a sh*t to stupid prejudice or social constraints. The problem is that these people are a minority and are eventually broken down by the others, for not meeting the standard behavior. I believe that many of these standards can and should be eliminated.In fact, dogs teaches us much about it. And, just for fun, two "canine" examples of "standards": Why DOG'S LIFE means MISERABLE LIFE? Why rescued dogs deserve a second chance, instead of us? By the way, you´re not a freak, but I am. WOOF!!! WOOF!!! WOOF!!!

Carol

lol mauro....i think you just called me a freak (cuz we know i ain't a genius, an angel or a hero!)

you should work in nursing..you meet the most incredible people, brave, kind, honest...people facing challenges and rising to the occasion. one patient i can remember lost his leg in his 80's and he was in a hurry to get his prosthesic leg so he could get on with his life.

then there was old harry from 25 years ago.his back and his face were scarred with hundreds of tiny schrapnel peices..i am pretty sure he fought in BOTH world war one and two. he told me a story once about waking up in the middle of the night and hearing someone on his porch stealing food from his freezer...he peeked out the kitchen window and saw it was a neighbor who had fallen on hard times so harry quietly went back to bed and let him take what he needed to feed his family. harry said that man had lost everything, he didn't need to lose his pride too.

they named a street after him in maple ridge..he was an incredible man.

there are truly great folks in the world it is just sometimes we are too busy to see them.

Mauro Salles

OK! Let's joke a little, but seriously. It's a mad world: simple solutions are for geniuses or freaks and do good things for Buddhas, Heroes or Angels. It seems that simplicity and goodness are missing and it is easier to keep yourself busy with complicated (?) things, in order to have an excuse to avoid anything else. Plato, for example, has written about many centuries ago (The Allegory of the Cave). I'm not perfect, far from it, but in general I don't like people and prefer dogs and cats. No leg? No eye? They suffer at first but, with TLC, fit and not spend the rest of their lives whining. I know! Gross and impolite comment ... but i hope it's funny (a little).