人類對汪星人的十大誤解

你大概以爲，叫喚的狗很危險，熱情的狗就是友好的狗，事實是……

狗狗的心事你別猜，猜來猜去也猜不明白。狗和人一樣，都有自己的個性和喜好，所以它們對事物的感受和反應也是因狗而異。狗狗的真實想法你真的瞭解嗎？

Myth #1: Dogs have a human appreciation of sharing

誤解1：狗像人一樣，懂得分享。

Humans can rationalize and appreciate the benefits of sharing. In contrast, among dogs, possession is ten-tenths of the law.

人類能夠合理分析和重視分享的益處。相反，狗的世界裏只有佔領。

So we should not take toys, bones and chews away from dogs unless we have trained them to accept this form of intervention.

所以，我們不應該從狗狗那裏奪走玩具、骨頭、咀嚼物等，除非它們曾接受訓練，能夠接受這種干預舉動。

Myth #2: Dogs always enjoy common human physical displays of affection

誤解2：狗狗總是享受人類表達感情的舉動。

Humans often show their affection for others by hugging and cuddling them. Dogs simply do not have the limbs and joints to achieve this and so have not evolved to give each other a loving squeeze.

人類通過擁抱和摟抱表達感情。然而，狗沒有進化出相應的肢體結構。

When embraced by humans, many can find this uncomfortable or threatening. The same goes for patting dogs on the head.

因此，被人類擁抱時，它們常常感到不適或受威脅。拍打狗狗腦袋也是同樣的道理。

Myth #3: Barking and growling dogs are always threatening or dangerous

誤解3：叫喚或怒吠的狗一定具有威脅性或很危險。

These are distance-increasing behaviors. The dogs using these signals are chiefly trying to buy space so they can feel safer. All dogs, regardless of their temperament or training, can at times want more space.

它們之所以叫喚，主要是爲了獲得更多空間，讓自己擁有安全感。無論性情如何，無論是否受過訓練，任何狗狗在有些時候都想要有更多的空間。

They usually try more subtle signalling first, but many dogs learn that subtle signals don't work and go straight for shouting.

它們通常會先嚐試微妙的暗示。不過，很多狗狗知道暗示沒用，所以就直接叫喚了。

Myth #4: Dogs will welcome unfamiliar dogs to their home

誤解4：狗會歡迎陌生狗來家裏。

Dogs evolved from wolves and are therefore primed to defend what is theirs. They have an attachment to their home territory and the resources within it. Dogs have no way of knowing that the dogs and human we invite around to our home, for example for a play-date, are ever going to leave. They can be forgiven for thinking that this is the way it is going to be from hereon.

狗從狼演化而來，因此防禦性非常強。它們對自家地盤和內部資源具有依戀性。它們不知道我們邀請來的狗狗和客人聚會結束後會離開，很可能以爲他們會永遠待在此地。

So it is to be expected that they will often try to lay out the local ground-rules and put the new arrivals in their place.

因此，它們常常會施展地盤法則，不讓新來者“入侵”。

Myth #5: Dogs like relaxing as much as humans do

誤解5：狗和人一樣，喜歡放鬆。

We go to work and go to school, so we greatly value the opportunity to chill out at home and maybe watch TV. In contrast, dogs spend most of their time at home and so value exercise off the property far more than time spent on the sofa.

人類需要上學、上班，因此非常珍視待在家裏休息和看電視的時間。狗恰恰相反，它們大部分時間都待在家裏，因此更喜歡到戶外玩耍，而不是待在沙發上。

Myth #6: An effusive dog is a friendly dog

誤解6：“熱情洋溢”的狗是友好的狗。

"Friendly" for one dog is not friendly for all dogs, and some dogs use excessive friendliness as a way to alleviate anxiety associated with meeting another dog or human.

狗狗們表示友好的方式不全都一樣。有些狗狗會表現出過分的熱情，以緩解和其它狗或人見面的焦慮。

Owners of very friendly dogs may be surprised when every other dog does not cheerfully receive their dog. Some dogs prefer sedate greetings, and lots of personal space.

一些非常友好的狗狗的主人在其他狗狗沒有表現出同樣的友好時會感到吃驚。其實，有些狗狗喜歡沉着冷靜的打招呼方式和大量的私密空間。

Myth #7: Dogs approach when they want to engage playfully

誤解7：狗接近對方，是想一起玩耍。

Sometimes owners are confused when a dog approaches a human or another dog in a friendly fashion and then growls or snaps at them.

有時候，狗狗會以友好姿態接近其它狗或人，然後卻開始咆哮或猛咬。這讓一些主人感到很迷惑。

These dogs may be motivated to approach chiefly to gain information, rather than to interact, and some may like strangers in principle, but nevertheless become anxious and overwhelmed all of a sudden.

它們之所以接近對方，主要是爲了獲取信息，而非交流互動。有些狗也許喜歡陌生人，但會突然感到焦慮或不知所措。

If you are seeing this pattern, call your dog away from new dogs and humans after a couple of seconds.

如果你看到這種現象，就趕緊把狗叫回來。

Myth #8: A big yard can replace walks

誤解8：院子夠大，就可以不遛狗。

Because dogs spend so much time at home in the yard, they often find the area a little too familiar and sometimes rather dull. The size of a yard is far less important to dogs than what happens in it.

狗狗一直待在院子裏，容易由於太過熟悉而感到無聊。院子大小不重要，有什麼活動才重要。

Dogs truly thrive on play with each other, with us and with toys. They particularly love to do so in a novel environment, so time spent out of the yard is the very best of fun.

狗狗喜歡玩耍——和主人、和其它狗、和玩具。它們尤其喜歡在新鮮環境裏玩耍。所以，出門遛狗最能讓狗狗開心。

Myth #9: Dogs are wilfully defiant when they don't do as they are told

誤解9：狗不服從命令時，就是存心違抗我們。

Rather than deciding to disobey us, dogs sometimes simply can't do what we ask them to. Either they don't actually know what we're asking them to do, or they have much, much more pressing things to do at the time.

有時候，它們不是“決定違抗命令”，只是做不到罷了——要麼不知道我們在下達指令，要麼正在做更迫切的事情。

Dogs are not great at generalizing, so just because they sit nicely when asked to in the kitchen when you have treats in your hand doesn't mean they automatically know what "sit" means when they are at the off-leash dog park.

狗狗不擅長“歸納總結”，因此，“坐”這個指令當你在廚房裏手拿狗食的時候也許有效，當你在狗公園裏解開狗繩的時候就無效了。

And while your dogs might know what "sit" means when being trained at home without distractions, asking them to do so when visitors are at the door.

另外，你的狗狗在家專心訓練時也許知道“坐”的意思，但當客人來訪時下指令的話它就會容易不知所措。

Myth #10: Barking, snapping, or lunging is the first sign of an unhappy dog

誤解10：狗不開心時，第一信號就是叫喚、撕咬和猛撲。

Dogs often give subtle signs they are becoming anxious, like avoiding eye contact with whatever is worrying them, licking lips, brow furrows, lifting a paw, tightening muscles in their face.

感到焦慮時，狗狗通常會先傳遞微妙的信號，例如迴避眼神接觸、舔嘴脣、皺腦門子、擡起一隻爪、面部肌肉緊張。

If nothing is done to help these dogs move away from whatever is worrying them, these signs can often escalate to more troubling behavior that is more obvious, such as growling and snapping.

如果沒有采取任何緩解狗狗焦慮的措施，那麼信號纔會升級成更明顯的令人不安的舉動，例如咆哮、撕咬等。