As a dog trainer, I have seen positive changes in the dog world. Better training methods, better understanding of the dog's body language by dog owners and more. Some things however have not changed and we see and hear the same mistakes repeated. Mistakes usually made out of ignorance, knowledge deficiency and love. Regardless the reason these mistakes are made , the outcome is the same. Stressing the dog for no reason and stranding from our real goal which is a better relationship with the dog. Obedience, discipline and wrong ways to express our love for the dog. We always denote the importance of obedience and the existence of rules in order for the dog-human relationship to be a harmonious one. However, we must not forget that dogs are living beings not robots. There needs to be a limit to the things we ask of a dog. You cannot ask a dog that has not completed his obedience training , to perform commands in a park full of other dogs and distractions. We need to spend some of our time to educate ourselves on the body language of the dog. Obedience training is necessary and good but the same way we teach our dogs the meaning of words, we also need to study their body language so we can better understand them. Had we devoted the necessary time and effort to do so, many dogfights would have been avoided and many dogs would have escaped euthanasia. We call dogs stubborn, persistent and more, just because we have not trained them.
We use one word for 4-5 different things and when the dog does not understand what we want of him, we call the dog stupid. For example, the word “down” is used for the dog to lie down, to get off the couch and to stop jumping on people. So, when the dog on the couch hears “down” , he will lie down instead of getting off the couch and it is not his fault. Obviously, the dog is not as stubborn as we think he is neither wants to have it his own way but is just offering the “down” command he has been rewarded for in the past. On a daily basis, I see dog owners be very austere with their dogs. When I ask why this is the case, the answer is usually “ I don't want him to think he is the boss”, or “I want him to know his place in the pack” and likewise. I have yet to understand how this notion has so successfully been installed into people's minds. No dog, none whatsoever has such intentions. Dogs will not make their life's purpose to become leaders of the family, leaders of the state or secretly maintain an agenda for conquering the world!
Whatever behavioural issues occur with pet-dogs within the family are not about dominance. They are about lack of training, lack of socialization, insufficient exercise and inability to properly read and understand the dog's body language. Falsely interpreting the messages the dog gives us, we react the wrong way and the result is unnecessarily stressing dog and human alike.
We have said before that corrections in dog training can have very good results if used advisedly, timely and as a last resort. It is unfair to correct a dog about something you have not taught him. The dog pulls during his walk, the dog jumps on people to greet them. If the dog has not been taught to walk without pulling, pulling is not his fault. If the dog has not been taught the accepted way to greet people, jumping on people to greet them is not his fault. I often listen to dog owners saying “ the dog destroyed my this and that and it was very expensive..” , “ he did this on purpose, he knew this was my favourite pair of shoes” and more alike. The dog has no idea how much things cost and the dog is not being revengeful. Vindictiveness is a human trait, not a dog trait. Do not impute bad human characteristics to dogs, they deserve better.
The reason a dog has done anything “wrong” , is out of boredom, nervousness or seeking attention. It is our responsibility to protect our favourite or valuable objects from a puppy or a nervous adult dog. We are also responsible to figure out why the dog is acting nervous. Dogs are under no obligation to want to play with other dogs. A dog unwilling to play with other dogs is not weird and does not need special handling. Simply respect the fact that this dog does not want the company of other – or specific- dogs and make sure to keep him and the dogs around him safe and away from fights. The competing dog obedience we see on videos must not be confused with the obedience of pet dogs. They are two different things, the competing obedience and the obedience for a dog's everyday life. It is specific dog breeds that excel in working dog sports, usually coming from blood lines with breeding emphasis on the dog's working temperament. We cannot expect a pet dog to have the same obedience level with a competing working dog. Working dogs attend endless hours of training and working dog owners have a higher level of knowledge about training . Stop hurrying. We live in times where everything happens quickly and everybody promises quick results. This makes us expect quick results from training our dogs too. This mindset leads to giving up too quickly because we cannot get our goals as fast as we have planned, or to using corrections too soon. The fact that I one day decided to train the dog to know and perform certain commands is something I - and only I- know. The dog has no idea about what is happening, what we are about to do and what the expectations are. Give the dog the time he needs to adjust to the new demands. Allow your dog to be a dog. To bark, to growl, to roll in the mud, to smell the ground and where other dogs have left their smell. It is all normal dog behaviour . Allow your dog to make mistakes in training. It is not the end of the world if the dog does not perform a command at once. Work some more, give better motives and the dog will respond promptly. Choosing the wrong way to show a dog our love can have devastating consequences. Giving the dog treats just because “he is so sweet and I love him” is not the right way to show them love. The only thing this will accomplish is causing the dog to become overweight and you being responsible for the health issues that will surface over time, in the near future. Keep the treats for training and for rewarding desired behaviour. Express your love in the right, constructive manner. Go out to play with your dog, take him for a long ,2-3 hour walk in the country, let him run, smell , enjoy your company and enjoy your dog's company. Teach your dog some tricks and reward his effort. Spend time to prepare a good meal, rich in protein, good fat, fibres and vitamins.
Do something constructive instead of something the dog will enjoy momentarily and cause him problems afterwards. Being unnecessarily overprotective of our dogs is not good for them. On the contrary it can be harmful. I see dog owners carrying their puppies when they see an adult dog , out of fear they might get bitten by the older dog. I understand and respect their fear but unfortunately, this behaviour has catastrophic consequences for the puppy. These dogs usually end up phobic/aggressive. If you are not sure about the other dog, just move on, change pavement and continue your walk as if there is nothing to worry about. Do not lift the puppy stressed by the presence of an other dog because the message you will give your dog is “ when we see another dog we get stressed”. Later on in his life, when he sees other dogs, your dog's reaction will be phobic or aggressive.
Do not lift your dog away from the ground to avoid water in a puddle or stones on the ground. The dog is not made of glass, stepping on a stone will not break him. The dog is not made of sugar, his paw will not melt if he steps on water.
Dogs need to do what is normal for a dog to do. It is normal for a dog to step on stones, to get wet, to walk on mud and so on. Working dogs VS Show dogs and ''working condition'' ,''pet weight'' etc. I hear people involved with working dogs, accuse show dogs for “ they are fat, no drives, breeding for appearance and proximity to the breed standards alone is wrong”.
And I wonder, how can these expressions come from people who supposedly love dogs? Unless of course they only love their dogs and those matching their criteria. The dog cannot be held responsible for being overweight, for being included in a breeding program or for his owner's exclusive interest in show dogs. Dog shows and kennel clubs are necessary to preserve purebred. Whether dog shows have taken a course some of us do not agree with is a different matter. It is more often than not that those who blame show dogs and kennel clubs are owners of one or more dogs without a pedigree. So, in order to continue breeding dogs without pedigree, they have formed theories that suit them. There is nothing wrong about having a dog without a pedigree. Love your dog like he deserves, spend quality time with him and enjoy your life with your dog without trying to lessen others to your advantage. It has become rather fashionable for dogs to have very low fat so their muscles become clearly visible. It is clear that some have confused “appearance” with “being”. Meaning, we have confused athletic and working with appearance , which if you think about it, is a joke. A bad joke that weighs heavily upon dogs for no reason, just to get a few likes on Fb or because some people are utterly confused.
When your only concern is appearance, you are no different than the dog show people you blame. If you make sure your dog looks fit but engage in no activity with your dog ( obedience, IPO, Mondioring, weight pulling, protection work etc.), then you are in no position to talk about the working dog. I've said this before , I'll say it again, what some people call “ working dog condition” is very rare even for 100% working dogs like police and military dogs. Because when it comes to actual working dogs, appearance is of no importance. In simple words, we do not care whether the dog's muscular tone is visible and fat levels are low. What we care about is that the dog can effectively perform his appointed task. Very low fat levels for long periods of time are dangerous and harmful for most mammals. Anyone with basic biology knowledge knows that. Anyone living with dogs for a long time has definitely noticed how 2-3 days of plain gastroenteritis can cause a dog to lose weight very quickly. Imagine what a more serious health issue would do to a “top conditioned” dog. To end this “condition” issue and hopefully never return to it , when the dog owner is overweight and his dog in “top condition”, we are talking about animal abuse. Because simply enough , a person would not have been overweight had they been exercising – hiking, swimming, long walks, whatever - with their dog. So, what really happens is that the dog gets very few calories and melts on a treadmill for hours. Dog owners that have never exercised themselves, never pushed themselves beyond their limits but keep their dog in so called “top condition” are in my opinion very wrong because they have no idea what it is they ask of their dog. They are in no position to understand the necessity of rest and healthy diet. They are also totally unaware of the fact that all days are not the same and there are days you cannot take more pressure. I do not mind repeating myself by saying that if you have demands of your dog on the athletic field, you are obliged to exercise yourself so you know what it is you ask your dog for.
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