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Writer's pictureLevi J

What does a dog "owe" you?

Nothing...

Your dog owes you NOTHING!


Not


A


Thing...


Let's clear this up because I imagine the question and the answer are a bit confusing.

Oftentimes, people get dogs as puppies or even as adults and they always have the best intentions but usually they have bad information.


Common theme now with dogs & ownership


You got this puppy, give it a nice crate, a comfy bed, buy good food, lots of toys, treats, take it for nice walks, play with them. With all that, when they misbehave or are disobedient, people think because of all the nice things listed above, the dog is expected to listen. People think they are owed things like obedience or even certain behaviors because they have provided all these super nice things and because you're so nice to them by playing with them, feeding them and giving them affection.


Whose choice is it?


IT'S YOUR CHOICE!

The decision for them to be in your life wasn't theirs, it was your decision.

When we make the decision to bring a dog home, we owe them.

And we don't owe them toys, treats, walks, off leash "freedom", play or even affection. Those things are currency for the dog, they are how we reward or "pay" the dog for doing it's job. Those things are earned. What we owe the dog (in my opinion) is dedication and patience in understanding and training. Even the family pet dog has a "job", their job is to not act like an out of control maniac, which includes barking out the window, at strangers, chasing cars, kids on bikes, not biting anything it isn't supposed to and, being obedient. It's not a hard job and I bet you don't need to think too long or hard to think of someone you've seen recently or know personally who struggles with a dog like this.


Your dog doesn't owe you "obedience"

What have you done to build the relationship with the dog so they give you obedience?

They don't owe you "respect"

What have you done with your dog for them to respect you?

They don't owe you "good behavior" simply because they live with you and you have given all this to them.

How have you built and enforced good behaviors?

How have you stopped unwanted and inappropriate behavior?


What people don't realize is that, by giving all of this to them first (before learning about their personality and doing the foundational work necessary for a balanced relationship) you are actually creating this unbalanced, unhealthy dynamic. One that is frustrating for owners and then that frustration comes out on the dog and we blame the dog when it's our fault.

We didn't know, we had good intentions and bad information. It's still a relationship of our own making.


What do you want?

This is what I want to know as your trainer.

First, what problems do you see and encounter on a daily basis?

What do you want to do about it?

What do you want from the dog?

What do you want from me?


If you want the kind of relationship where the dog not only listens but truly understands, it takes work and you have to "pay what you owe." It's your responsibility to create that, not the dogs.

YOU owe your dog.

You owe it to them to understand them (historically as a species, a breed and an individual) You owe it to them to learn about their individual personality.

You owe it to them to become educated on how they communicates with you, the body language and train them in a way that builds understanding, enjoyment and is free of conflict.

You owe it to him to advocate and protect them when required and you modify the environment to them him be successful.


Dogs are a privilege and we have done them many injustices over the millennia since we have had a relationship with them. Yet they still protect our property and our lives with their own, they go to war with us, herd our livestock, find missing people for us, they become our eyes when we lose our vision, they meet us at the door wagging their tails and comfort us when we are down. The tasks they do for us go above and beyond any other partnership between species imaginable.

Anyone can love their dog. But a devoted, true love is not common now.

When we just "love" a dog, we give everything and don't ask for anything back and create these spoiled brats that are a far cry from the dogs and relationships we've had in the past.

With devotion and a true love for the dog, comes a deep respect for what they truly are, where they came from, what they are capable of and prove it by knowing and respecting & understanding their dog.

Your dog owes you nothing. You owe your dog everything.


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