6A
FEATURES
Grandkids without discipline
Dear Annie: I am inclined to least three years.
ask for an outside opinion after
When I spend time with the
spending time with my grandkids kids individually, they are sweet
at their home last night and wit- and very smart. I’m sure they like
nessing a lot of violent behavior the calm visit with me. What will
with which they got away. It was happen with them in the future? —
an emotional roller coaster. I saw Worried Grandma
the eldest sibling behaving
Dear
Worried
DEAR
roughly with his younger
Grandma: You are cor-
rect to be concerned.
siblings. The parents
ANNIE
Empty threats help no one.
threatened to take away a
They instill temporary
favorite toy as punishment
fear in children that they
but then never followed
will get something taken
through, nor did they use
away, and when there is
timeout, which I still think
no follow-through on the
is smart for calming down.
As a grandparent, I
threats, it teaches the chil-
Lane
dren that your word is not
was glad to see the sis- Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
ters, ages 3 and 4, learning
worth paying attention to.
to fight back against their
In the end, they will con-
elder brother, who is 7, when he tinue not to listen to or respect your
was rough with them. But he’s still son and daughter-in-law. They
stronger, and there was still a lot of need firm guidelines about not hit-
crying. Meanwhile, the 1-year-old ting, strict enforcement and lots of
love.
boy is watching it all.
My daughter-in-law is a stay-
Dear Annie: I am a veterinar-
at-home mom. My son participates ian, and I have read your column
with the discipline, but he mostly since its inception. I usually agree
yells at them. The kids laugh it off, with your advice. However, I must
and the eldest boy even hits the par- object to the advice you gave to the
ents or pounces on them when he owners of the cat who got a Great
feels like it. And again, nothing is Pyrenees. They believe that the dog
done to punish him. The kids are is demanding an inordinate amount
simply told to hug and say they’re of their attention, possibly out of
sorry. This has been going on for at jealousy. Though your reply was
well-intended, your recommenda-
tions may not have been helpful
and could even be dangerous. Dogs
and cats have their own methods of
communication, with facial expres-
sions and body language that most
people aren’t trained or attuned
enough to understand. They have
evolved to respond to these cues
in certain ways. Trying to proj-
ect human emotions, motivations
or patterns of behavior onto dogs
or cats is largely unsuccessful and
can sometimes create even more
unwanted behavior.
This couple would benefit from
having a professional dog trainer
come to their house, observe the
social hierarchy that exists and
counsel them on the best way to
safely modify this dog’s behavior.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts
to help people with their issues. I
hope this information is beneficial.
— Michigan Veterinarian
Dear Michigan Veterinarian:
Thank you for your expertise. You
make a great point about the poten-
tial pitfalls of projecting human
emotion onto animal behavior. I’ve
forwarded your letter to the owner
of the Great Pyrenees, and I’m
printing it here for the benefit of
all readers trying to keep the peace
among animals in their homes.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Walk in the
sunshine. Eat delicious food. The sensuality
of life will somehow feel like a thrilling escape
and the sweet embrace of home all at the
same time.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Goodbyes are
important. Whether they are happy, relieving
or tearful, it is better to have the closure
than not. Today, you’ll get closure on a limbo
situation.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You like people
who surprise you, even if the surprise is a
bit weird. You’d much rather be jolted by the
unexpected than lulled into a waking slumber
by the tedium of the overly familiar.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). When
experiencing unpleasant emotions, you
know not to get stuck there. You will quickly
do something to create a different emotion
and this fluidity of feeling keeps the day
clipping along.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The person who
has to make everything about himself or
herself won’t change the pattern just for you.
However, you may inspire this person to at
least be more aware of that dynamic today,
which is a start.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Getting the
approval of others, avoiding their disapproval,
giving a stellar performance, having things
the way you want them ... all of that is nice,
but not necessary to your happiness.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Avoiding responsi-
bility doesn’t make anyone happier or freer.
It seems like it should! But there’s a great
deal of good that comes out of accepting
responsibility, and you provide plenty of proof
for that.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll be de-
veloping a better way of looking at your life
and some more supportive self-talk to go
along with that new view. What would you
tell a friend to help them if they were your
position?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Service makes
you feel good about who you are and your
place in the world. You’ll love what comes out
of this today, and you will likely sign up for
more in the future.
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ll be
especially susceptible to imagery today. Take
advantage of this by seeking out inspirational
pictures of the life you desire, the person
you want to be and the environment of your
peaceful daydreams.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re starting
to accumulate many positive experiences. It’s
as though you could stack them high enough
to block out the negativity of the past. This is
a building project worth devoting yourself to.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). How you
spend your day is how you’re spending your
life. You’re so aware of this now that you
may be moved to cut out an activity for good
because it sucks time away from things you
would rather be doing.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 17). A
new hobby or interest is burbling up now and
will take hold and solidify in 2018. Once you
figure out the particulars, your commitment
to the endeavor will introduce you to new
people and places. Your family will grow in
the new year. Your leadership will be often
requested and sometimes paid for. Pisces
and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers
are: 12, 2, 28, 40 and 15.