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Where the wild things are and what the heck are they anyway?
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Max as wolf chasing family dog with a fork!
Where The Wild Things Are, the cherished Maurice Sendak book, is on the surface the story of a challenging little boy named Max who finds being the boss of things isn't always easy. Banished by his mom to bed without supper for doing naughty, unruly things, Max rebels by sailing away for "inside all of us is a wild thing." When he realizes his own response to emotional unruliness is no less punitive than his mother's, disheartened and lonely he sails back and returns to his room where he finds a supper -- still warm -- left for him by mom.
Now being released as a big budget live action film by visionary director Spike Jonze (could that be a dog's name or what!), the symbolism of the wild things as emotions comes to life.
Maybe because one of his unruly acts was torturing the family dog while wearing a scary wolf costume and perhaps enhanced in my thinking because Halloween is around the corner, I can't help thinking of this book as a metaphor for dog training.
Max "tamed them with the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once, and they were frightened, and called him the most wild thing of all and made him King of All Wild Things."
Followers of balanced or traditional trainers shame dogs into submission with disproved theories and force based punishment -- leash pops, alpha rolls and more. This sort of training style makes for dramatic visuals and hence, through the costumed executive monsters of bottom line lust, also known as television producers, shows like THE DOG WHISPERER score high ratings. But it often produces a submissive shut down effect that emanates from deep within the dog.
Followers of positive training, lately called positivists although I don't happen to like that label, are the mothers who leave warm suppers of treats and rewards to shape and nurture the behaviors they like. Their dogs exude confidence and trust and respect of a leader who is benevolent, clear, direct, kind and motivational. Owners who are patient and wiling to take the time and effort to produce the results that transform unruly to cooperative and espouses a do unto others philosophy instead of a do it or else one.
Of course it's not that simple, but take a look at the book in any form that works for you, or go see the movie, and decide for yourself. And don't think it escaped my notice that James Gandolfino, he of Tony Soprano infamy, voices one of the monsters!
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