Hey guys, it’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post. I’ve been busy training dogs and clients, but I have a spare minute and I have something I really want to touch on quickly.
Too many people come to me with problem behaviors and want to nip that and only that. When I see certain issues with a dog, I see the layers behind it. I go ok, this is happening because of a, b, or c, or all of the above. I can’t fix the problem without getting to the root of it first. This seems irritating, but skipping steps makes an unreliable dog in the long run. Going out into public areas is not going to be a walk in the park, or even introducing a heavier stimulation to your home.
We have to condition dogs. That is the most important thing to take away from this post. We have to condition them to go from a negative reaction to a positive reaction. Depending on the age and how many repetitions the dog has had, it can take longer. We have to lay a foundation onto them so they understand what is asked. I don’t like to go straight to correcting a dog because most of the time there was a blurred line when they did the behavior, OR they’re fearful and reacting from being scared.
Pay attention to your dog’s body language, pay attention to your energy, don’t greet other people or dogs on walks and ALWAYS advocate for your dog’s space. do whatever you can to keep your furry pet safe, it speaks volumes to them and will save you the headache later.
