Obedience training? That ain't me, babe.

I'm surprised how many times I've heard a dog owner tell me how they're opposed to telling their dog what to do. They've heard about "bossing" their dog around and being the "leader" and bossing their dog around all day is just too strict for their style. With that said, their dog has behavior issues and would like me to address those annoying behavior issues.

It's like a plumber coming in to fix a leak in the ceiling but not being allowed to go upstairs where the problem might be originating. First of all I think we need to address what it means to be a leader of your dog. If you were a bully and bossy, demanding or inconsistent, I think we would all agree those are horrible attributes for an effective leader. I'm thinking more along the lines of confident, caring, clear, concise and someone who communicates effectively.

If you had a job where on the first day your boss said, "We're so glad you're here, just mill about and figure out how it all works. We're all equal here, man." You'd be cool with that at first. You are the luckiest employee on the planet. A paycheck for doing whatever you want!

But then you notice your boss is frustrated with you and he says cryptic things like, "Ugh, you didn't file that report? I really wanted you to come in early today!" And storms off. He never told you anything about a report, ever! He's never told you to do much of anything, let alone to come in early. He's usually just friendly. Now you start feeling anxious. You ask him what you should be doing and he says, "No big deal, you're fine." and then a couple days later he's mad at you again out of the blue. You become more anxious. You start fighting with coworkers because you're moody. You never know when your boss is going to be mad at you over something you did or didn't do. This perfect job isn't so perfect.

If your boss would just tell you what he expected from you and communicate clearly when you were on the right track and fairly explained to you when you were going in the wrong direction, you wouldn't feel so scattered.

This is what a dog without boundaries or guidelines feels like in it's home. Rules are put into place so we can communicate clearly with our dogs what we want and expect from them.

For thousands of years dogs and humans have worked together--the key word here is "worked." Dogs thrive when they are working. I've had clients who were opposed to "obedience training" and then watch their dog come alive once I start training very basic commands. Their dogs were hungry for clear communication and direction. It's also FUN. Their brain is engaged. The dog was bored, meandering around the house without direction and the suddenly someone is breaking through the anxiety and frustration, making it so easy to succeed and the dog can tell that everyone is happy with what he is doing.

"I don't want to have to have food in my hand for my dog to behave." I agree completely. That's why you start with food/treats to effectively mark, "Yes, that's what I want you to do," and then use food less and less until you no longer need it. I intermittently substitute praise once the behavior I've captured is strong enough.

If you are looking to improve your dog's well-being and yours by communicating better, there are plenty of options--here are some: obedience training classes, agility classes, urban herding classes, or even private lessons.

Pack Balance