Chrissy 0:01
Chris, welcome to The Dogs of our lives podcast with me, your host, Chrissy Messick, in these short digging deeper episodes, we'll dive deeper into interesting topics that arise from my guest interviews, those areas of dog training, behavior, consulting and interspecies communication that provoke more questions that I'd love to answer for you as an expert in the field. And speaking of questions, how well do you really know your dog? Why not try out my quiz, which is linked in the show notes, the questions and the answer might surprise you. Now, let's dig in.
Chrissy 0:35
Last week, I talked with Emily Tronetti About what humane education is. The link is in the show notes, if you want to listen to episode number 22 and today, I wanted to dig deeper into exactly what that looks like. Every being has their own unique purpose in this world, and nobody is better than or less than another being. Every being has their own purpose, and every being should be treated with respect for their contributions to the world. I think it's strange that we need to teach kindness and empathy, but there are people out there who just don't know the difference. Maybe they've never been given kindness or empathy and need to learn how to develop and create awareness around it. I think at a young age, I intuitively had empathy for animals growing up on a farm. There were situations that I just didn't feel were comfortable or right. For instance, we had a goat named Roscoe who was just tied to a stake, and every time I tried to approach him, he would get pretty upset to me. I didn't get mad at him. I understood that he was upset because he was stuck to this stake, and that that made me upset. Or we had roosters and chickens, and if I went into the the hen house, the rooster would try to attack, but it's just knowing that he was protecting his hands, and so it was a situation where I wouldn't get upset with him, but I understood what they were doing, or maybe why they were reacting the way they were. Or we had dogs, and they lived outside. They were never allowed inside. And to me, I could see that they really wanted to be with us and be with us inside, and so I had empathy for them, and it was a little bit upsetting. Now, in our own house with our girls, we see a spider in the house, or be in the house, or a mouse in the house, and we take them outside. We don't kill them. We take them outside because they aren't trying to scare us or inconvenience us. They are just living their lives, and they're trying to survive as well. Squirrel moment, here's a shout out to sheza Simba for taking the time to comment about how you appreciate the content being raw and open with a combination of knowledge and balance of storytelling and gentle recommendations for dog guardians to better help their dogs. I hope the content is helping you and your pup thrive together with their better understanding of each other. So if we look a little deeper into humane education. I wanted to go over five talking points to kind of round it all out in the first one is just really defining humane education beyond the basics. And it's not about just being kind to animals. It's developing critical thinking skills that help us question our assumptions about our relationships with animals. It's about building the capacity for empathy and taking thoughtful, compassionate action based on ethical principles rather than convenience or tradition. It's about developing a framework for ethical decision making that considers the welfare and rights and well being of all living animals. So for example, if we're taking a truly comprehensive, humane approach for high school students, let's say we could have a program that examines the ethics of various animal based industries through research projects and students might investigate questions like the welfare implications of different egg production systems, or how do wildlife conservation Efforts balance human needs with animal protection and these exercises build critical thinking skills that extend beyond simple binaries of kind versus cruel. Another example is when educators use comparative ethics scenarios. So if we believe it's wrong to cause unnecessary suffering to dogs, what principles might we apply to farm animals or wildlife, this approach helps develop moral consistency and the ability to recognize when convenience or tradition might be overriding our ethical principles. The second talking point I wanted to go over is the power of daily modeling, so the small everyday moments often create the most lasting impressions about our relationship with animals and our everyday interactions with animals speak louder than any formal lesson children and adults will both learn from observing how we respond to animals in our care and in the wild these moments, how we talk about animals, how we handle disagreements, about their needs, how we prioritize their welfare, the. Creates the foundation for humane values. So for instance, a parent who encounters a spider in the home has a choice to kill it immediately, to just express disgust and fear, or to calmly capture and release it outside, while explaining to their child that the spider has a role in the ecosystem and really respecting their part in what they do in the world, that single interaction teaches more about respect for life than any formal lesson could as parents or teachers. If we show respect to other animals, then we'll have more adults in the world that are doing the same thing. The third talking point is recognizing and addressing our biases so we all carry unconscious biases about different species. Humane education encourages us to reflect on why we might feel differently about a dog versus a pig or a butterfly versus a spider. By examining these biases openly, we can make more intentional choices about how we interact with all living beings. We often maintain contradictory attitudes towards species different species based on cultural conditioning rather than ethical reasoning. So for example, a humane approach exercise might ask participants to list attributes of various animals, dogs, pigs, mice, snakes, and then examine what makes them value some species over others Is it physical appearance, perceived intelligence, cultural symbolism, historical relationships with humans. By making these biases explicit, we can begin to question whether they form a rational basis for different ethical treatment. Another powerful approach for kids or students, is experiential learning that changes preconceptions. So taking students to responsibly managed farm sanctuaries where they can interact with pigs and learn about their intelligence and social nature, and that often transforms how they think about these animals they previously considered only as food sources. The fourth talking point is the role of thoughtful observation, learning to truly see animals as they really are, rather than as we imagine them to be. This cultivates a deeper understanding and a respect and a true humane approach. Teaches us to observe animals without projecting our human expectations onto them, by learning to really see and understand animals in their own terms, their natural behaviors, communication signals and needs, we develop deeper respect for their intrinsic value. One of my favorite things to do is just to watch animals throughout their day, just whatever they're doing, if it's, you know, a fox in our backyard, or coyotes wandering around. Or our dogs just doing their own thing, that's one of my favorite things, is just to observe them and see what they do. And so, for example, for kids, you know, we could do a nature journaling program that teaches them to observe local wildlife without interference, noting patterns of behavior, habitat use and interactions. This practice of patience observation. You know, whether watching birds at a feeder or insects in a garden teaches kids to appreciate animals intrinsic experiences, rather than viewing them solely in relation to human needs. And I think as adults, we can just do the same thing. Pay attention to what our dogs are doing naturally. Another great example for kids and adults to do together is go to a animal shelter and volunteer and learn how to read subtle canine body language. You know, learning to distinguish between a dog that's fearful versus showing aggressive behaviors or recognizing signs of stress in cats leads to more respectful interactions based on the animal's actual experience, rather than human projections, and these observational skills become transferable to understanding and respecting boundaries in all relationships. The fifth and super important talking point is building community support systems. Humane values are reinforced when embedded in community structures and policies, and humane approach thrives when supported by community values and structures. This includes everything from local animal welfare policies to neighborhood norms about responsible pet ownership. By creating communities where humane treatment of animals is expected and supported, we reinforce individual learning and create sustainable change. When we do this, we're starting to create a shift in our culture and our mindset. And so, for instance, neighborhoods that establish community supported trap neuter return programs for feral cats demonstrate a collective commitment to humane management over lethal control. And so when local governments invest in these programs and educate residents about their effectiveness, They normalize humane approaches to wildlife conflicts. And similarly, schools that incorporate service learning at animal shelters or wildlife rehabilitation centers create institutional support for humane values. And when these partner. Ships are highlighted at the school or in the community, they signal to the community that animal welfare is valued by respected institutions, and this creates social norms that reinforce individual learning. So all of these five talking points really reinforce how important it is for us just to have a
Chrissy 10:18
change in this cultural shift and mindset about the well being of all humans and non human animals. If we can teach this in our families and in our schools in our community, it'll make a huge difference for the well being of all of us. I hope this episode got you thinking about ways that you can create a humane approach to all humans and all non human animals in your life. Thank you for joining us today. I hope you discovered a valuable nugget you can implement right away with your dog. If you enjoyed the episode, please follow rate and share with fellow dog lovers who might benefit. Don't forget to take our How well do you know your dog quiz? You'll find the link in the show notes until next week. Happy tales. Bye.
