Let Them Stop And Smell The Roses

• "Command"
• "Master"
• "Owner"
• "Listen"
• "Obey"
• "Perform"

The language some still use today when referring to dogs and training is quite archaic and oftentimes indicates an almost slave-master relationship. The dogs and clients I see don’t view their animals as such; they view them as family members. So why would they refer to them that way?

I understand that in order for humans and their companion animals to live harmoniously together there are certain things that are not acceptable in society such as dog bites, dog fights, darting out of doors into traffic, and pulling us down the sidewalk to mention a few. However, more often than not I am seeing dogs that are merely sniffing the grass (what their senses are telling them to do) or standing vs sitting (oh the horror!) and the other end of the leash is harshly giving them whiplash while the words Stop! Enough! Let’s Go! are bleating toward them. They aren’t moving fast enough, staying focused, or listening to our commands. I can’t imagine the pressure an animal must feel to try and decipher what humans are asking from them when it changes from day to day, their tone of voice varies and pressure on their collar is being applied at the drop of a hat. Why do we feel as though we must control every aspect of our dogs' lives? There is a very real fear many people have that their dogs might be scheming to take over the household, which we know is not going to happen.

Our roles are very clear

Dog is dog, human is human. There is no mistaking one for the other. Make no mistake, dogs KNOW we are the ones that provide access to everything wonderful in their lives. We give them yummy snacks, take them on trips to the beach, ensure they have soft and comfortable sleeping spaces, and care for them when they are hurt.

But, what if we encouraged choices?

We all want choices in life

The choices I am talking about are not dangerous ones that will affect their health and well-being negatively. These are choices that give them confidence and build strong relationships with the humans around them. Instead of obeying their master, we can encourage them to choose desirable behaviors that are reinforced by the things they desire to have access to whether it is food or the environment. And let’s face it… dogs want to be paid in THEIR currency, not ours! Do you think they would make those choices more often and we would have to stop commanding them to do things? Yes, indeed.

Here's a list of ideas:

• When our dog chooses to give eye contact on a walk, pay with treats or access to sniff the grassy area nearby.
• When our dog chooses to offer a sit in front of a closed door, pay with access to outside. Many times, simply waiting for our dogs to offer vs. commanding them will yield that very sit!
• If there is a dog friend nearby while out on a walk and your dog offers polite behavior, pay with access to that dog.
• If a stranger asks to say hello to your dog and they show polite interest, pay by allowing them to go to that stranger to say a quick hello for some friendly pats.
• Dinner time? Hold the dog food bowl and wait for a sit. More than likely your dog will choose to give that sit for payment of their meal! The key here is that they are choosing vs us commanding.

It’s time to let our dogs stop to smell the roses and for us to help them become confident and well-mannered pups by encouraging good choices.