如果宠物变得比家人更重要

Making matters worse: Both Mr. Wolak and their daughter are allergic to the dog. He estimates he has spent several thousand dollars on doctors' appointments, as well as a special air filter for their home. And, he says, he argues regularly with his wife over the cost of the dog's special diet, toys and training.
更糟的是：科克和他们的女儿都对狗过敏。他估计为了看医生以及给家里买一个特殊的空气过滤器，他已经花了几千美元。他们还常常为了狗的特殊饮食、玩具和训练等花费争吵。
　　
'There is only one answer to fixing the wedge between us, and that is to get rid of the dog,' says Mr. Wolak, who believes that wouldn't be fair to Buck. 'So I am stuck with him -- and because he eats so damn well, he is going to live forever.'
科克说，只有一个办法能解决我们的问题，那就是摆脱这条狗。但这对巴克不公平。所以我被狗缠住了，但它吃得这么好，可能永远都不会死。
　　
Ms. Wolak, for her part, says, 'To get rid of Buck would be like getting rid of my daughter.'
玛丽娜却说，离开巴克就像离开女儿一样。
　　
Of course, if a pet causes a rift in your relationship with another person, the problem may not be the animal.
当然，如果一只宠物让你与其他人的关系产生了裂痕，或许不是动物的错。
　　
So how do you keep the peace between your pet and your other loved ones?
那么怎样才能保持宠物和爱人之间的和平呢？
　　
James Serpell, a professor of animal welfare and director of the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania, warns against ascribing human emotions or motives to your pets. Don't allow the animal to become too close to you. (He won't let his dogs or cat sleep with him.) And don't take their behavior personally. 'Animals aren't that bright,' he says. 'They make simple associations, not complicated ones.'
瑟培尔是动物福利教授，美国宾夕法尼亚大学动物与社会互动中心主任。他反对将人的感情或动机归咎为宠物因素使然。不要让动物与你变得太亲近。（他不让他的狗或猫和他一起睡。）不要从人的角度解读动物的行为。他说，动物没那么聪明。他们只进行简单的联想，不会进行复杂的想象。
　　
If all else fails, there is always pet therapy -- it worked for the Lollmans. After their dogs nearly wrecked their marriage, they sent Darby, an Irish terrier, and Kacee, an Australian shepherd-border collie mix, to live with a trainer for four weeks. Then the entire family -- two people, two dogs -- met with the trainer once a week for 16 more weeks after the dogs came home.
如果其它方法都不管用，试试宠物疗法。它对罗尔曼一家很有用。在这些狗几乎毁坏了他们的婚姻之后，他们把达比(Darby，爱尔兰梗)和凯茜，澳大利亚牧羊犬与边境牧羊犬的杂交犬)送到训狗师处住了四个星期。在狗回家之后，他们一家（两个人，两条狗）在接下来的16周里每周与训狗师见一次面。
　　
'It was as expensive as human therapy,' says Ms. Lollman, 63, chief financial officer of a lighting company. But it was worth it, says her husband, 65, an attorney: 'You don't discard a pet.'
艾伦．罗尔曼说，狗的治疗费和人一样贵。她今年63岁，是一家灯饰公司的首席财务长。但她的丈夫乔说，这样值得，不能抛弃宠物。乔今年65岁，是一名律师。