Your dog is not broken, he does not need “fixing”.
Every day I get emails and phone calls from people needing help with their dogs. Many of them want me to fix a problem they have with a behaviour that their dog displays. The problem with that is two things; one, the dog is not broken and does not need fixing, and two, they do want to make any personal changes and take no ownership for their role in the matter.
Dogs are animals, they are not humans. Before Fluffy is your cute little buddy, he is a dog, and before that he is a predator. Yes, your cute little Yorkie is a predator (if anyone ever met my Yorkie they would have no doubt that this is true LOL). We as humans bring these animals into our homes and expect them to know how to behave in our world. Many of the behaviours people complain about are actually very normal dog/predator behaviours, we just don’t like them. I am often telling people that I am mostly there to train the humans, and that it is 60% human training and 40% dog training (this is generous though, probably more 70/30). The dogs will usually get it, and quickly. It is the humans who struggle to change themselves, and respect the dog for who he really is….a dog. Not a four legged, furry, tiny human brought into this world to receive only love and no structure or rules.
Humans put emotion into almost everything they do. We overthink, analyze, and question the process. Dogs do not. They just do, and they do what is natural and what works. So, if your dog resource guards a meaty bone from you, he is not broken. He is doing what it would take to survive in the wild. If your dog pulls on leash, he is not broken. He is doing what he thinks works to get you to follow him (and in most cases it does work otherwise he would not do it). If your dog jumps on you or other people, he is not broken. He is not only doing what feels good to him but has not been taught not to jump on people.
So if you are planning on contacting us to “fix” your dog, don’t. We are not dog fixers. We are human and dog trainers who want to heal and repair the relationship between you and your dog (aka the predator living in your house). We want to teach your dog the rules of being a pet dog. What is acceptable and what is not. But, we also want to meet them half way by teaching their humans how to be more like a dog. Think like a dog. Have compassion where needed, and how to address the stuff we do not like in a way that is fair and that the dog will understand (ie. shouting NO! all the time is NOT an effective way to teach your dog). If you are open to thinking this way then please do call us! We would love to help you with your dog and help work through the issues you are having!
Serving Burlington, Dundas, Ancaster, Hamilton, Binbrook, Stoney Creek, and Grimsby.
Shoot us an email at [email protected]