A lesson from a Beagle!

The first photo above is of Daphne ten years ago, when she was three years old. 

The second photo is a recent one when she is twelve years old. 

Both photo reveal the scent driven behaviour of her in our garden, whenever she is allowed to play in the garden. It is when we tale her on a leash for a walk outside our garden, it becomes an effort as she 'leads' the way often. 

Having watched her grow older and currently not very healthy, following a surgery she needed for a lump in her leg, I am aware of many changes in her temperament and behaviour. She being a Beagle retained most of the behaviour mannerisms of her species. Her friendly temperament has grown further that she communicates and responds in a reciprocal manner. 

But her scent driven habit has remained unaltered. 

When I listen to stories of families and their concerns about their children who have some 'nagging' behaviour about which they are pre-occupied, I try bringing to their attention this aspect that it may be their way of being. The compulsive thought that parents have, about wanting to see their children behave according to their expectation can be a burden on them and their child. 

A parent was concerned that her son, five years now, was using the left hand for all the personal activities as a dominant hand. It took a while for me to get her to consider that about 10 to 15 percent of children and adults have the left hand as their dominant hand.  

Another parent was disturbed about his six year old son wanting to draw designs and pictures that he saw. His argument was that none in his or his wife's family was artistic. He presumed it to be 'abnormal'. It took a while for the father to consider that his son might be skilled in drawing. 

Each of us is distinct by our genotype-it is therefore natural that we express ourselves corresponding to our genotype. It is the nurture we offer to our children which can augment their resident skills with which they are born .  

Some behavioural mannerisms which children pick up can be modified when we condition them to modify the habit by gentle and consistent behaviour education. The angry outbursts that we come across in pre-school children is often modifiable. 

We would have been foolish to stop a Beagle dog from being scent driven. Therefore it is important to accept some behaviour as one's personal pattern and become familiar with them.  

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)