Of Hostages & Relationships: Article by Suzanne Clothier FLYING DOG PRESS

Of Hostages & Relationships: Article by Suzanne Clothier FLYING DOG PRESS: "OF HOSTAGES & RELATIONSHIPS
by Suzanne Clothier

He said that he loved her. He said that his relationship with her mattered almost more than anything else in his life. He said that he enjoyed working with her, and sharing new ideas. To be sure, she never took her eyes off his face, paying no heed to the audience who waited breathlessly to hear his secrets for such adoration, such undivided attention.

'First', he said, 'I never let her talk to anyone but me. When I leave for work, I lock her in a room, which is pretty boring for her, but when I get home - oh, is she ever glad to see me! If she wants to do anything, except go to the bathroom, she has to do it with me. I control her food, her exercise and all her activities. Wherever we go, I insist that she always look at me, so I know for sure she's paying absolute attention. I don't let her have any friends, because they might distract her or use up the energy she needs for working. Being the only social contact she has, I am very important to her. Naturally, she'd rather be with me than anyone else.'

The audience didn't gasp. They didn't protest in any way. They didn't stand up and tell him that was archaic, outrageous treatment. They did not shout out that this was not, could not be, the secret of a healthy, happy relationship. Instead, they nodded, and took notes. They thought this made perfect sense.

Was this some sensationalistic talk show featuring, 'Taking A Hostage - Key to a Happy Relationship?' Unfortunately, it was not Geraldo or Sally. This was a dog training seminar, and 'he' was talking about 'her' - his dog. (And while I say 'he', this attitude is certainly not limited to male trainers but applies equally to female trainers.) If this had been a man talking about his wife, or a mother discussing how she raised her kids, the audience would have been, rightfully, appalled. But it was, after all, only a dog, and these were tech"