| It has been a little while since I submitted an article | | | | New York Times. The experiment was as follows: |
| here. A few things have happened since. The most | | | | Rats were introduced in a closed environment. There |
| important is the fact my son was operated on. I will | | | | were only a few rats in this experiment. The rats |
| get back to that later. | | | | built nests, formed families and peacefully co-existed. |
| The second thing that has occurred, is I now have | | | | Then other rats were introduced into this |
| another dog. I call her Chi-Chi since she is part | | | | environment and it became overcrowded. Young |
| chihuahua. Chi-chi was neglected and ultimately | | | | male (teenage) rats formed gangs, raped female rats |
| abandoned. She was kept outdoors 24/7. She was | | | | and killed younger rats. |
| never given a name, or house broken. She had | | | | Man is supreme on this planet. Man can still learn from |
| nothing to hide under during a thunderstorm. You can | | | | other inhabitants. Rats showed us what |
| understand why I took her in. She is now house | | | | overcrowding can create. Dogs show us there must |
| broken and is learning how to walk on a leash. I do | | | | be a leader and if weakness is displayed, another will |
| not allow her to walk in front of me. By allowing a | | | | challenge to become alpha. This challenge does not |
| dog to walk in front, I would be giving over the | | | | have to come from an adult. I have seen children as |
| position of leader, or alpha, to the dog. | | | | young as eight challenge to become alpha. Many have |
| When Chi-Chi first came here, she did not see who | | | | succeeded. There are too many families where the |
| was the 'alpha' as I tend to spoil both Bubba and | | | | children rule. There are too many families where |
| Kitty. She decided she was. I watched this eight | | | | children were neglected and found other neglected |
| pound little dog try to take over running the house | | | | children to form a pack with, just as the rats had |
| as one of us had to be the leader of the 'pack' and | | | | done. |
| this household, with both human and animal, is a pack. | | | | I have seen this repeat itself over and over again. |
| As I already mentioned, my son was operated on. I | | | | Parents have to find the happy medium between |
| take him to his follow up doctor visits. We happened | | | | love and discipline. Discipline means love to children. It |
| to be at the doctors' office yesterday. I watched a | | | | does not have to be strict and constant. Children |
| big, imposing man who was there with his ten year | | | | have to understand they are not the alpha in a |
| old son. The son had a broken arm. I saw the love | | | | family. |
| this man had for his son. I heard him gently giving his | | | | Parents also have to understand that they cannot |
| son advice. I watched his son absolutely defy and | | | | pursue their own enjoyments to the neglect of their |
| argue with everything this man was saying. The man, | | | | children. I know a woman who neglected her sons |
| in his love and affection for his son, was abdicating | | | | after her divorce. She said to me, "I have my needs |
| the alpha position. | | | | also." Her needs were more important than her sons. |
| The love he was showing his son was being taken | | | | The father was not allowed to have any input in the |
| for weakness and therefore the son had to take | | | | sons upbringing. One was just arrested. The older |
| over as the leader of the pack (the family). When | | | | one is serving twenty years in prison. Having a black |
| the man and his son stepped outside for a moment, | | | | belt in Karate did not help him. He was just stabbed |
| other people in the waiting room commented on the | | | | six times in the chest. |
| rudeness of the son toward his father. | | | | We think he is going to live. The mothers' reaction - |
| A few years ago, an experiment was reported in the | | | | "he caused his own problems, and I have my needs. |