Thoughts for Pawrents

 

Thoughts for Pawrents

Companionship:

We should view our dogs as companions. They are living organisms. They are not an accessory for you to dress up for social media attention. They are not meant to be used for games to entertain ourselves. They have their own feelings and desires. Please treat them as such.

A New Universe:

Imagine you were placed in an unfamiliar universe. There are crazy sounds, really fast and slow-moving objects, really big and really small things, and lots of new smells. Remember, we've been here for a while and have had a lot of time to adapt, they haven't.

Behavior:

Behavior change takes time and consistency. What is the last behavior you've tried to change? How many times have you tried to cut out junk food? Stop drinking as much coffee? Going to the gym or starting a new diet plan? It's not that easy, is it?

Attitude & Body Language:

Your attitude matters. Dogs are mainly non-verbal in their communication. Be confident, be clear, and be kind. Pay attention to how you move your body when giving signals to your dog. How you move is more important than what you say. If your training or interactions are not positive, then find a solution. Improve your communication, and create a better bond.

Simplicity:

The law of simplicity states that we should reduce our approach to its most simple form. This creates clarity. Do you want to stop your dog from charging at visitors as they enter your home? Why not just have them on a lead? Signals such as "Doggo, come here please!" could be simplified to "Doggo, come!"

Natural Needs:

All dogs have natural needs. By understanding their natural needs and which ones they value most we can structure their day-to-day life to properly stimulate these needs to have a well-rounded, content dog.

Reinforcement & Benefits:

Dogs, like us, will act based on benefits and costs. By offering positive reinforcement we can communicate to our dogs which behaviors are preferred in which contexts. Are you wanting a behavior change and not seeing any progress? What motivation are you providing your dog to change?

The Power of the Nose:

Our dogs have an incredible sense of smell. One source estimates dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors, whereas we have approximately 6 million. By understanding the importance of the dog's nose we can incorporate more nosework day to day. A simple activity I like to suggest is a "scatter." Take a portion of your dog's daily food rations (with or without treats) and throw them into your grass, snow, or out in public. This nosework will help provide them with mental stimulation while also giving them an outlet for their most powerful sense. Also, when taking your dog for a walk, allow the dog to be a dog. Let them use their nose. There's no reason you HAVE to keep walking at one pace. If you're concerned about the walk for your own health, leave the dog at home.

Management:

If your current training cannot end with success in the real world we must move to management. If you can't get a consistent recall in your yard, how would we ever expect it to be successful at the dog park? By understanding this gap between your training and the difficulty level we can adapt using management when required.

Small Slices of Pie:

When working on any behavior we must always aim for the dog to be successful. If the dog fails, it's not their fault, it's ours. A dog failing is information for us that we are setting our criteria too high, or not being clear within our communication. By breaking down these behaviors into smaller pieces we can improve the learning curve of the desired behavior and make the learning process more enjoyable for everyone.

Let's do our best to take a deeper look at our relationship with the ones we love the most. What can we do to improve the quality of their life? What can you implement starting today?

"Be a friend. Not an owner."