Read posts from Complete with Dogs...and Cats, the blog that started it all. Life With Dog. These leash pops are conversations to your dog that communicate where your dog should be position-wise. I love having my dogs inside. Constant anxiety when it’s avoidable? 99. Bike rides or jogging with your dogs are also awesome activities. So many owners mistakenly associate leadership (creating a framework of rules and expectations), structure (daily habits, routines, patterns), and accountability (consequences for breaking known rules, or making poor choices in general) with being mean, nasty, and harsh. © 2021 Life with Dogs and Cats. (My inner geek is showing,  I know.) A World Leader in Dog News and Entertainment Am I just out of touch and remembering romantically those past days when dogs seemed to be dogs and humans seemed to be humans – and both seemed to be the better for it? Understanding that our affection can be used to both help or harm, and then being mindful of wielding that power wisely is where we need to go. If, for some reason, you’re unable to utilize these other options and feel the dog park is a necessity for you and your dog, then here are a few tips to think about: Remember, it’s your job to advocate and protect your dog. Not because he’s a bad dog, but because he’s opportunistic…just like you and me. 2) Thou shall keep your on-leash dog safe by not allowing interactions with unknown dogs, who are also on-leash. Read about living life to the fullest with your dog from the lifestyle experts at American Kennel Club. If you really want your dog to not worry. As a professional trainer, I see this one almost constantly – and attempting to repair the behavioral fallout that occurs from it is a daily focus. And this is where our 10/10 Principle comes in. Leaving Your Dog Holding The Emotional Bag, Relationship Gaps And Unforeseen Consequences, The Ten Commandments Of Dog Training And Ownership (Do!). HOMCOM Vintage Storage TV Stand With Shelves, TV Cabinet With Sliding Door, Back Cable Hole for Living Room Bedroom Steel. Or maybe it’s somewhere in-between. My suggestion is to find safe, balanced dogs that your dog can play with – create play dates with friends or neighbors who have good dogs, or take hikes or other excursions off-leash in a safe environment. Read the post honored by BlogPaws: Ketsishe Rose: A Mother's Day Story. And if you reward constantly, and for everything, your dog will see you as needy, soft, and not to be followed – and he will likely become spoiled and entitled – expecting the world to revolve around him. It’s about doing what’s best and healthiest for those in your charge – even when it’s hard or uncomfortable. When your relationship with your dog is lopsided, unbalanced, and based far more on “love” and spoiling than it is rules and structure, you’re going to have problems. little sparrow, you’d be lunch I remember very clearly the way our dogs lived with us (and the way most of my friend’s dogs did as well). Why can’t you find all this great stuff. Remember, to think that dogs are a one-size-fits-all is a recipe for struggle and heartache. When you arrive, check out the vibe: Is it chaotic, are there too many dogs in a frenzied state? $139.99 $ 139. So let’s not go there! The Best Of Dogs Naturally 2020. We also talked about how dogs that live in a perpetual state of excitement and adrenaline tend to be stressed and anxious and almost always have behavioral issues as a result. Or how many separation anxiety dogs relax and stop freaking out once they learn that structure, rules, and accountability are prioritized over freedom and affection? 655K likes. Like anything else, that which is too easily obtained is not valued or appreciated. Why would we expect these complex creatures to just happily, easily, and seamlessly adjust to their entire worlds changing? How do owners know how much is too much? These owners just want to love their dogs – which is code for selfish/lazy behavior. We’ve created a lot of confusion and mixed messages, and we’ve set our dogs up to make natural assumptions and decisions based on those messages. The good news is that this is easily avoided and/or rectified by utilizing some simple training concepts and using tools that empower you. That everything will be okay. Understand that as connected as we are, certain communications get severely lost in translation. I see rehab with dogs in much the same way I do therapy for humans. My personal dogs are allowed on the bed, on the couch, get loads of freedom, and plenty of affection. The best way to avoid this unhappy situation is to become highly conscious of finding a dog that is a good match in both temperament and energy levels. Just be neutral. And all without any of those nasty tools, or having to be “mean” to your dog. They’re taking this information and deciding what needs to be adhered to and what doesn’t, who needs to be listened to and who doesn’t. Stressful So the last thing you want to do is make something that’s already difficult for your dog…a thousand times worse. But it’s not. But first, I’m all eyes. I just create a simple rule for my clients that they aren’t to let their dogs interact on-leash with other dogs on the walk. You can get them from Amazon or Petco for a few bucks, and you can get 15, 25, or 50 feet lengths. and I’d be happy. By Kara Gavin. The only issue is, it doesn’t really work. Do we always look happy in therapy? But for those of us choosing to live in the more integrated fashion, remember that that freedom, connection and enjoyment comes at a cost – if we want to have happy, healthy dogs we can enjoy. The dogs, their owners, and their issues aren’t the focus. They’re the camouflage used to distract from the true motive of the religion: the practitioners attempting to heal or retroactively protect themselves by way of protecting dogs, from what they see as parallels of their own disempowerment, lack of boundaries, and coping with what they didn’t desire in their own lives. His or her feelings won’t be hurt, they won’t think you don’t love them, and they won’t hold an emotional grudge. So what’s a conscientious dog owner to do? Either way we know that even really social dogs may end up in a negative interaction when on-leash due to these factors. While typically we associate the abuse of dogs with denying them food, shelter, or physically harming them, the abuse I see in my work is far more common, insidious, and acceptable. Almost as Good as a Spa Day: Taking Your Cat to the Vet Doesn’t Have to Be One that’s unfinished. Do you know how many resource guarders stop guarding once they experience a few rules totally unrelated to their guarding? Isn’t allowing suffering the same as causing suffering? Believing this to be the case, and, of course, wanting our dogs to be happy (and not wanting to be a social outcast who says ‘no’ to other owners), we allow them to drag us over to random dogs at their discretion and peril. You both add your parts, stir them up with daily life and repetition, and voila, you get some nasty behavior that SEEMS totally unrelated. Remember, love isn’t about doing what’s easiest and most fun/comfortable/emotionally enjoyable for you. I’d say they’re just about in the 9-10 range. Available on Amazon: K&H Manufacturing Kitty Sill Ez Window Mount: one shelf or K&H Manufacturing Kitty Sill Ez Window Mount: Double Stack. One of the best ways to create an anxious, hyped-up, destructive, barking, whining, howling, crate-breaking, separation anxiety filled dog, is to share an effusive goodbye. For me, the answer was to make sure that as deep as I loved, and as much freedom I granted, that I shared equally firm, unquestionable discipline. You reward the behavior you like, and ignore the behavior you dislike. Our parents (or maybe you if you’re of that older generation) could probably get away with not doing as much training. On our scale, if you’re a 2 in the leadership/rules department, you better be a 2 in affection/freedom department. We recommend a 90/10 ratio of structure to freedom. For the most part, they chose to have their dogs be dogs, and that meant an easier human/dog lifestyle path in many ways. Of course no one is hitting the dog, starving the dog, or leaving the dog out in the snow. All this information has told your dog who you are and what role you wish to play in his life. I’m talking […], If you’re a fan of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson, you may have an idea where our only male cat got his name. And neither species gets a free pass or a shortcut. Home; About; Leaving Your Dog Holding The Emotional Bag. As owners we instinctively understand that we need a leash and collar to safely control our dogs outside on walks, but for some reason (and trust me, I was included in this group some years ago!) And this can cause lots of problems. ), it’s only for those who shout, scream, bully, belittle, or not-so-cleverly undermine others. That’s like dog trainer rockstar stuff. So this begs the question: with this new dynamic of near total integration and sharing, how the heck do you keep your dogs balanced, respectful, polite, and well-behaved in the face of all these mixed messages? 12,504 talking about this. little sparrow, you’d be lunch Your dog influences your lifestyle in more ways than one. Why insidious? We’ve got trainers swearing they can do seriously amazing rehab with seriously tough dogs. Most of the motivation behind our desire to have on-leash meetings stem from our belief that our dogs need to meet every dog they see. Many owners use constant pressure (holding the dog back with a tense leash) in an attempt to control the dog. What are we enforcing, what are we allowing? Life With Dogs. and I’d be happy, Keep dogs out of the litter box with Door Buddy. Our responsibilities, if we’re to have healthy, balanced dogs, got heavier, and more challenging. ... Blog Choosing Your Van Van Build. Understand that what you’re trying to convey isn’t landing the way you want, and it certainly isn’t creating the positive, comforting reaction you desire. So then what’s the problem? If so, honor that feeling and skip the park or wait until later. And just to be clear, I’m not being a chest-beater, and declaring everyone needs to show their results (even though that sure would be nice for consumers! Because there are so many variables and dynamics at play when dogs are being introduced to each other – territorial issues, excitement issues, competition issues, bad manners, trust issues, owner nervousness, etc – it’s prime time for dogs to make bad choices and create bad blood right from the get-go. What’s the number one question we get from owners? What kind of dog is he? About Dog Life World; Dog Items. This is why some folks remark that dogs in our program don’t always look “happy”. They’re still dogs, but they hold a special place in my heart, and I think that’s pretty clear to them. Because here’s the thing, talk is cheap. But if you want your opinion to have any legs, and any chance of being entertained, that’s the price of admission today. You can allow your dog to have potty and sniff time on your release, not when your dog simply decides to pull you to something of interest. A World Leader in Dog News and Entertainment A service dog blog. Just go. Remember, the numbers don’t lie. Featuring cute dogs and heartwarming dog stories from all around the world. But that takes time and growth. The only exception to this is if the other dog is a well-known friend to your dog, you’re certain they get on great and have no issues interacting – and your dog doesn’t act like a knucklehead dragging you across the street to meet his buddy! Monitor the situation as you would if kids we’re playing or wrestling. This only makes for a tense, frustrated, struggle for both of you. . Previously we learned that allowing these behaviors oftentimes creates relationship issues, teaches your dog to ignore you, trains pushiness, and often creates stressed out little monsters. The dogs, the owners, the truth, don’t matter. It can also help you tweak what’s out of whack and allow for an easy check-in with what’s really going on relationship-wise. In the previous post we talked about how indulging ourselves – sharing too much unearned affection, humanizing and babying our dogs, and not sharing the necessary structure, rules, and guidance – while feeling awesome for us, is almost always the greatest contributing factor to bad behavior and uncomfortable and unhappy dogs. But if your dog is a wreck, and you prefer the easy, comfortable, lazy (or worst yet, chosen ignorance) approach to “dealing” with this, then this might be for you. It might be called pure positive, force free, or rewards based. Oftentimes it makes clear sense. The stuff you can’t wait to witness and cheer on. A Blog To Gather Insights about Life with Service Dogs | SDRA Recent Posts. It’s about being able to gift your dog with guidance that is as fluid as the real world is. Just make it as normal and non-eventful as possible. That everything you do or don’t do is giving your dog information about who you are and how he should respond to you. Everything else is just the easy part…talk and opinion. The more predictable and dependable, the better our behavior tends to be. So, instead of leaving our dogs to sort things out when the deck is stacked against them, let’s help set them up for success through some simple structure, rules, and guidance. 2017 CATalyst Council Connection Award, 2018 But even though we get it for us, we struggle seeing it with dogs. If you’ve been to my website or Facebook page, you know I’m a huge advocate of prong collars. 5) Thou shall utilize the dog park at your (and your dog’s) own risk. Steph & The Spaniels | Dog Friendly Lifestyle Blog. While trainers can teach your dog commands, manners, and what is and isn’t acceptable behavior, your dog is simply too smart and too emotionally evolved to take that information as universal. So trainers, looking to shore things up, even things out, and re-balance the human-to-dog conversation, ask owners to remove or reduce certain privileges and interactions. I know that’s not what you want. By Sean O’Shea. What you’ve asked for. By clicking OK, you agree to our use of cookies. This simple act can create serious dog reactivity issues for that dog, can undo hours and hours of progress and trust building for dog and owner, and can easily end in a serious dog fight (and maybe even a human to human fight!). And make sure you see the actual clients duplicating that process. 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