Dog Training
Dog training takes time, consistency and commitment. If people want their dog’s behavior to change but nothing is improving, it’s most likely because they haven’t changed their behavior.
If people want to see real change in their dog, they need to step up- not just by putting in the time to training but also by changing their own habits and behaviours. Often, people are emotionally attached to certain routines or behaviours, even if those routines are causing problems. For example: a dog sleeping on the bed. People enjoy the emotional comfort of having their dog close, but they may not be getting quality sleep. Physically, it doesn’t feel good-but emotionally, its reinforcing the behaviour making it harder to change.
So, people need to look at themselves if they are struggling to change their behaviour. They need to ask why? Why am I not putting in the effort to change my behaviour to help my dog, to help myself?
Why am I just reacting to the unwanted behaviour and not taking the effort to get up, to gain more knowledge, to ask for help?
Why?
Change might mean they have to make sacrifices in their social life or get up earlier. It may mean they have to prioritize the dog over extra hours at work or fewer independent activities that don’t include the dog.
They may have to leash their dog when they want to walk off leash.
They may have to put up a gate to prevent access or jumping on guests.
They may have to stop walks or dog day care visits or ball tossing or off leash walks or dog parks or any number of activities that are contributing to the problem behaviour.
In the end, people need to make a conscious effort to change habits and behaviour to affect the change they want to see in their dog. People have to be committed to making the change and if necessary taking the time to get more help if they’re knowledge has maxed out and then in turn, implement the changes that the dog training coach has suggested.
People will have lots of reasons and excuses.
If they do seek help and still don’t see change, it’s often due to the fact that there is too much work required on their part and/or the change isn’t happening fast enough. So, in that case, they’ll decide they can live with the behaviour and adapt to it because they don’t want to put in the effort.
And no change in human behaviour can result in in punitive action towards the dog or a limited life which can result in more frustration and unwanted behaviour or rehoming.
Nothing is achieved without effort so if your struggling with taking action to make a change, ask yourself, why am I allowing the unwanted behaviour to occur? What do I need to change and if you’re not doing it, ask yourself why. If you don’t want to put in the effort, then accept the behaviour as it is.
And remember, dogs are perfect. They’re behaviour is in response to their environment.