Remember, a canine is not a child, it is not a ‘fur baby’ and cannot reason and think like a human, it has its own qualities. Dogs do not play like children. Understand the requirements of a canine and you will prevent behavioural issues developing through inappropriate activities. Educational interactions are positive, constant high energy ‘play’ is not. Keep a canine calm and you will have a well mannered canine that is a pleasure. Keep escalating to high energy to interact with the canine and you will be always having to stimulate your canine to gain any focus.
The fact that people choose breeds on aesthetics alone with no training or understanding of behaviour is gravely concerning. Unfortunately the training community is as culpable as the breeders. Treating all dogs as equal with a biscuit waving training programme, ignores breed variance. Genetics undeniably influence breed characteristics and purpose. Pointers point, Collies herd, and expectations align with their inherent traits. Yet, when a fighting dog exhibits aggression, it shocks despite purposeful breeding. Certain breeds are better suited as pets, emphasising the importance of responsible selection. Powerful breeds pose risks in inexperienced hands. Understanding body language and proper training are crucial, as consequences of mishandling these dogs can be severe.
More informed choices are required in selecting a suitable canine companion for domestic living, not just selecting a canine that the human finds aesthetically pleasing. Recognizing that not all dogs share the same traits underscores the significance of genetics in canine behavior.
Why do you think a dog pulls away from a human?
Who is the leader?
Why should a dog want to lunge towards unfamiliars?
What does it mean when your dog wants to happily walk by your side on a loose lead, ignoring other dogs??
These are questions people should know the answers to.
The process of teaching a canine to walk to heel is not complicated and can be taught in a few minutes. That is not the only behaviour of a trained dog. Owners need to address what is causing the dog to lunge and escalate towards unfamiliars and targets in the first place. To correct these negative behaviours bespoke training is required. It is a relationship imbalance between human and canine that needs to be explored and addressed. Each canine is an individual and owners and their requirements differ. Bespoke training is required, not a one size fits all policy to dogs of ‘wave a biscuit’.
The whole domestic dog landscape in the uk needs an overhaul, we need to start understanding our canines in general as a society and make more informed choices; initially whether our own lifestyle is conducive to providing a fulfilled and content canine, and if it does provide the necessary, then what breed would be most suitable for our individual requirements.
We have forgotten in the UK and western world what we designed dogs to do, to work for the human and take pleasure in doing so. The connection between human and canine is the treat/praise, not some smelly bit of cheese/kibble/meat in your pocket. This only promotes the canine working for self gain. This is where so many people go wrong, attempting to stimulate the dog with high energy activity that only hones its skills or feeding it treats for every command it follows.
The typical canine was designed to work all day, everyday throughout the season. To think we can ‘tire’ out our canines with a few ball games or a long walk is futile. The canine needs mental stimulation. For this I don’t mean licky mats, kongs, ball games, interactive toys or other nonsense designed to exploit the owners guilt and fund the pet product industry. I mean stimulating activities that get the dogs mind working and building a trust/respect bond where the canine enjoys the connection with the human.
With so many dogs diagnosed as anxious and prescribed medication to alleviate their so called ‘stress’, If your dog is anxious, one must ask why? A dog saturated with human emotion will always be out of its comfort zone. Learn to lead your dog and your dog will willingly follow. What usually is the case is the canine is too intelligent for its owner who has only learned about treat rewards and constant praise, it’s often too intelligent for its domestic settings where it is allowed to follow its own direction with little instruction being given to what is appropriate in its surroundings, it hones its skills daily, looks for weaknesses in the human and then fills this void with following its own direction. All easily eliminated with proper sympathetic training. Understand your canine and you will achieve the ultimate canine/human relationship.
