Greetings friends of Hive Pet, it's been a long time since I've been here, it's not because I have nothing to tell you, on the contrary. Since I live day by day with my pet and we always live some situation, there is a lot of fabric to cut as we say in my country, Venezuela. Thank God my dog Muñeca is fine, but there is never a lack of things, now she resorts to manipulation, I will tell you why.

Manipulation is not only a characteristic of human beings, I have realized that animals also resort to it, as an emotional blackmail to get what they want. It seems unbelievable, but I have had dogs for as long as I can remember and that has allowed me to realize that each one of them has its own personality. Like people, I have realized that some of them are grumpy, dominant, affectionate, quarrelsome, fearful, jealous, playful, serious, cheerful and boisterous. I have been able to deal with this cocktail of different personalities and now I have Muñeca, a playful, loyal, affectionate, obedient and sometimes fearful dog.

In this time, about three years or so, I have learned to know her and she has learned to know me. Muñe is hungry all the time, she really doesn't get full. That time she lived on the street marked her and even though she has been living for a few years in a house where there is no lack of food, she always wants to eat. I can't imagine the day I give her food and she doesn't want it because she is full.

It is just because of the food issue that she manipulates me, her meal times are set, in the morning and at 2:00 pm. She knows, she already has her own clock, but in the evenings, around 9:00 pm, she goes out to the garden for a while, she takes the opportunity to go to the bathroom while I water the plants, she is my partner in this activity, I tell her "come on Muñe, come with me to water the plants".

The problem arises when I pass her inside the house and she has to go into the yard, she does not want to leave because she wants me to give her perrarina. Sometimes I have given her and other times I don't want to give her to prevent her from getting used to it, I know it is my mistake the times I gave her, but what happened was that she looked at me with sad eyes and even lay down on the floor. Then, seeing her like that wrinkled my heart and I gave her a little bit of dog food. It also happened that she didn't want to pay attention, she wouldn't go into the yard no matter how much I scolded her, she kept the same attitude, so to "get out of it", I gave her a little bit of dog food.

Sometimes I put my foot down, because I have already given her some, but she wants more, she knows where the dog food is and starts nodding at me as if to say "there it is, give it to me", or she sits near the table where the dog food is and she doesn't want to move from there. I scold her, she throws herself on the floor, lowers her ears and looks at me with those little eyes again, I firm, I don't let her and when I am going to approach her to go to the yard, she runs and gets under the bed which is her refuge when she is afraid. Nobody gets her out of there, unless I call her with the kennel in my hand, and I'm not going to do that, obviously. I have no choice but to wait for her to come out on her own, I really don't insist that she comes out of where she is so as not to scare her more.

It's already a habit she has, but it won't go away overnight. These days I have spoken to her firmly "go to the yard", I tell her. She wants some dog food, but she comes into the yard and looks at me with sad eyes, droopy ears and a scolding face. I don't give her anything, to see if she will stop manipulating me with the food.

Saludos amigos de Hive Pet, tiempo sin pasar por acá, no ha sido porque no tengo nada que contarles, al contrario. Visto que día a día convivo con mi mascota y siempre vivimos alguna situación, hay mucha tela que cortar como decimos en mi país, Venezuela. Gracias a Dios mi perrita Muñeca está bien, pero nunca faltan cosas, ahora ella recurre a la manipulación, ya les cuento porque.

La manipulación no es solo una característica de los seres humanos, me he dado que cuenta que los animales también recurren a ella, como un chantaje emocional para lograr lo que quieren. Parece mentira, pero he tenido perros desde que tengo uso de razón y eso me ha permitido darme cuenta que cada uno de ellos tiene su propia personalidad. Como la gente, me he dado cuenta que unos son gruñones, dominantes, cariñosos, peleones, miedosos, celosos, juguetones, serios, alegres y alborotados. Pues de todo ha llegado mi vida, he podio lidiar con este coctel de personalidades diferentes y ahora pues tengo a Muñeca, una perrita juguetona, leal, cariñosa, obediente y que a veces se torna miedosa.

En este tiempo, unos tres años más o menos, he aprendido a conocerla y ella a mí. Muñe tiene hambre todo el tiempo, de verdad no se llena. Ese tiempo que vivió en la calle la marcó y pese a que lleva viviendo unos cuantos años en una casa donde el alimento no le falta, siempre quiere comer. No me imagino el día que le dé comida y no quiera porque está llena.

Es justo por el tema de la comida que ella me manipula, sus horas de comidas están establecidas, en la mañana y a las 2:00 pm. Ella sabe, ya tiene su propio reloj, pero en las noches, a eso de las 9:00 pm, ella sale un rato al jardín, aprovecha de ir al baño mientras yo riego las plantas, es mi compañera en esta actividad, yo le digo “vamos Muñe, acompáñame a regar las plantas” .

El problema se presenta cuando la paso para dentro de la casa y ya debe entrar al patio, ella no se quiere ir porque quiere que le dé perrarina. A veces le he dado y otras veces no quiero darle para evitar que se malacostumbre, ya sé que es un error mío las veces que le di, pero lo que pasó fue que ella me miraba con unos ojitos tristes y hasta se acostaba en el piso. Entonces, verla así me arrugaba el corazón y le daba un poquito de perrarina. También pasaba que no quería hacer caso, no entraba al patio por más que la regañaba, mantenía la misma actitud, entonces para “salir de eso”, le daba su poquito de perrarina.

A veces me pongo firme, porque ya le he dado, pero ella quiere más, ella sabe dónde está la perrarina y comienza a hacerme señas con la cabeza como diciendo “allí está, dame”, o se sienta cerca de la mesa donde está la perrarina y de allí no se quiere mover. La regaño, ella se tira en el piso, baja las orejitas y me mira con esos ojitos otra vez, yo firme, no la dejo y cuando me voy a acercar para que se vaya al patio, corre y se mete bajo la cama que es su refugio cuando tiene miedo. De allí no la saca nadie, a menos que la llame con la perrarina en la mano y eso no lo voy a hacer, obvio. No me queda de otra que esperar que ella se salga por sí misma, de verdad no le insisto que salga de donde está para no asustarla más.

Ya es un hábito que tiene, pero no se le quitará de la noche a la mañana. En estos días le he hablado con firmeza “váyase para el patio”, le digo. Ella quiere perrarina, pero entra al patio y me mira con esos ojitos tristes, las orejitas caídas y la carita de regañada. No le doy nada, a ver si así va dejando de manipularme con la comida.