I get some very interesting phone calls. I was reminded of one today when I made myself a peanut butter sandwich (with some great jam thanks to Carol’s mom).
On a daily basis, we see animals who are stressed simply by coming to the hospital. We use treats and toys as a way to make them feel more comfortable. Our goal is to change their emotional response to the situation. No matter what kind of day I’m having, I always have to grin when a dog gets excited when I stand by the cupboard with the treats. Rather than being scared by the procedures they are looking forward to the treat.
Now, back to this phone call. This woman called because her dog was scared of her baby. In my mind I was picturing a toddler running, squealing and falling around the dog. It turned out that the baby was only 3 months old. For a dog to be running away scared from a baby of this age is a very dangerous situation. She told me that she “had done everything” to make the dog like the baby but was very concerned about what would happen when her baby started to move and crawl.
The woman proudly told me that she had tried to make the dog associate the baby with its favorite treat, peanut butter. I was pleased that she was using something which could elicit a positive emotional response until she told me how she went about this. My staff can attest to the fact that my response to the woman telling me that she slathered the baby in peanut butter and had the dog lick it off was not one of my better professional moments! Unfortunately, she had not given me any personal information so I was unable to contact the authorities. Wish I’d had caller ID……..
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