When Youtube feeds me a dog psychology video, I might watch it to see if Sparky is getting screwed over.  This one was good because it had mostly good looking dogs and people. 

Here are the ten things.

1. Rub your dog’s chest.  It creates a ‘security anchor’ and is 10 times more beneficial than petting them anywhere else.

Sparky has a cowlick on his chest, so he gets creeped out or self-conscious if I try to sort out the swirl.

2.  Have a departure protocol for leaving the house.  Dogs can sense when you are getting ready to leave, so having a routine keeps them relaxed.

I don’t know, putting on pants is my routine, and it seems to put Sparky on alert.  He wants to make sure I know that he’s got nothing planned, so he has the time to fit in a car ride.

Now I want to set up a camera to see what Sparky does after I leave.

3.  Dogs need authentic play, not mindless and repetitive activity.  They need the kind of play that fulfills there biological needs.

They put this shot in of a dog having killed a rabbit.  I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but Sparky would be happy if he could chomp on it for a while.

For Sparky, any game that pays off with a treat seems authentic.  Playing ‘Search and Rescue’ with Mr. Moose seems to be what they are getting at.

Then for some reason, they included a clip with a dog playing with a bionic kid.

Dogs don’t like robots, that was the whole point of the Terminator movies.

4.  Don’t hurt your dog’s feelings, and apologize if you do.   Dogs and humans are the only animals that acknowledge apologies.

This should be a two-way street.  After being a dick to Rusty, Sparky would smile his ass off.  Sparky used to think it was funny when he got out, and I had to search for a half-hour looking for him.

5.  Dogs should sleep in proximity to you.  They are pack animals so should not sleep alone, and should at least be nearby.

They say the dog doesn’t have to be in your bed, which is good, because dogs have glands and lick their paws.  Having a dog in your bed is nasty.  No idea why this lady is scissoring her dog.  That doesn’t seem healthy.

Sparky can sleep anywhere he wants, as long as he stays off the couch.  He still isn’t back to sleeping in his crate in my bedroom.  I don’t know what’s going on there.

6.  Dogs need a consistent daily routine so they know what to expect.  That doesn’t mean a rigid schedule, just a few consistent routines.

Sparky and I have our morning fellowship before he goes out to take a piss, and I respect his desire to keep his afternoons free so he can take a nap.  I feed him too.

For some reason, they included this clip of a dog with a 3-D printed leg, or maybe it’s in a cast or the dog is in a gang or something.

7.  Dogs need eye contact.  Not creepy staring like a vampire, but comfortable.

I do a good job, but Sparky still stares at me, trying his automatic mind control.

8.  Greet your dog properly when you get home.  It’s called the reunion response.  They need to know that the pack is solid.

When I get together with friends for Game Night, I’ll be gone for maybe six hours and get home a couple of hours after Sparky’s dinner time.  He greets me carrying Mr. Moose and wants to play.

I’d be an ass not to notice how sweet that is.  Sparky hasn’t had a chance to go to the bathroom for six hours and hasn’t eaten for 12 hours, but he misses me and wants to goof around for a while.

9.  When your dog is sick, stay nearby and attentive.  A sick dog is vulnerable, so needs to know that you are standing watch to keep them safe.

This one is a two-way street.  When my gall bladder was on the fritz, Sparky stayed nearby and concerned, all night.  When he got home after his belly patch surgery, I had to be at least as supportive.

10.  Dogs know when they are dying.  WTF?  I’m not sure I get this one, but the idea seems to be that if your dog is on it’s way out, it’s better to acknowledge that, than to expect the dog to keep the daily routine.

Sometimes Sparky likes to look over the land, and tell me what it will be like when all of this belongs to him.  Sparky doesn’t get that this is a dick move to talk about, so I let him go on.

I didn’t learn anything new in this video, but it confirms that Sparky and I are good.