Hans Bol, 1584

THANKS very much to the readers who sent notes of concern this week. I was in Florida taking care of an elderly aunt who just got out of the hospital. My aunt, who has lived alone most of her life and has many serious, chronic health problems, just got out of the hospital and needed intensive help. I thought I might be able to post while I was away but it was all too much, not only caring for my aunt but trying to survive the week without being attacked by her small dog. According to the American Kennel Club, the Havanese is “a small sturdy dog of immense charm.” My aunt’s Havanese must be an anomaly. No matter how good I was to “Bo” (short for Bonaparte) — taking him for walks, petting him on my lap, feeding him hot chicken — he still snarled, yapped ferociously and lunged at me whenever I approached or walked away from my aunt. Bo was fine if I had him on a leash. He was a terror when he was free. One night he loudly barked at me, as if I was an intruder who had just broken in, on-and-off throughout the night as I tried to sleep on the couch. He bit me twice. My aunt’s remedy for his misbehavior was to feed him treats and cuddle him. Bo is her baby. The psychodynamics of this kind of relationship, once set in place, are inalterable.

So, dear reader, I was too overwhelmed to pay any attention to the rest of the world.

— Comments —

Duke writes:

Mightn’t we have Bo’s side of the story?

Laura writes:

He may have some critical things to say, it’s true. But I know four other people whom he has bitten. However, when he stays at Barkingham Palace, a local daycare center and kennel for dogs, he is well-behaved. I think he takes his duty as bodyguard very seriously.

Spencer Warren writes:

I hope your aunt has improved. And your bites.

One of my new dogs bit the sitter. I was told to have the sitter give her treats. True, you outdid treats with the chicken. The dog may just be used to living alone with your aunt.

Laura writes:

Thank you.

Yes, he is used to living alone with her. Unfortunately, they need to have some contact with the world. At least two of her friends will no longer visit. She refuses to train him with a shock collar or discipline him in other ways.

He also is not fully house trained and one reason why she was in the hospital was that she slipped on a puddle of dog urine a year ago and broke her leg, which led to a knee operation and all kinds of other complications. There is nothing to prevent the same kind of thing from happening again. I stepped in his messes too.

As far as me giving the dog treats, that makes no difference in his general pattern of behavior. I’ve tried.

Jeanette writes:

The little dog is the alpha not your aunt. It’s too bad she won’t train him. Dogs actually prefer to be trained and are happier when they are

I used to train other people’s dogs. They all minded me just fine. My dogs mind and I only carry their leashes when I walk them. Until recently I had the best behaved dogs in the neighborhood. A new family moved in and they have the most awesomely trained yellow lab

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