Dog Training, How We Have Failed Our Dogs ( Guest Post)

Dear Friends,

Sadly, life has been rough for us. Don't get me wrong... the dogs are fine (living their lives as how dogs should--with maximum playtime, downtime, and socializing).  The human's life however is far different.

Anyhow, I am glad there are still people who are willing to share their experiences and talents with us. Today, I'm sharing an article written by Kevin Davies, a pet lover.  Do check his article out on Labarador Puppy Food. 

I often hear people say that their dog is being dominant and won’t do what is asked of them. I wanted to write today about what I believe to be one of the most important things you should understand when it comes to dog training and understanding your dog.

Humans are the most dominant species on the planet. We build the most impressive things and are constantly inventing new ways to improve our lives. However when it comes to understanding our dogs we often seem helpless and have no control over our dogs unruly behavior. I believe it is because we somehow think if we love our dogs and provide everything they want that they in return will do what we ask just because we are good and kind. This is the downfall of many dog owners.

Your dog is first and foremost an animal, and as such they need to be shown how to behave in an appropriate manner when they are around humans and other animals. Without clear instructions given in a way that they can understand, dogs will take it upon themselves to set the rules, and this leads to a wide host of problems.

When you take a look at dogs throughout history, you will discover that in the very beginning it was the wolf who first became companions to humans. We bred them and conditioned them to be less like wolves so they could live with us in our homes. While the dog and wolf are of the same species and share the same DNA, this does not mean that the dogs we have today are wolves, they are not, they are completely different, and have different needs that have to be met in order for them to be calm and submissive.

I remember when I was young and we would go out into the fields to work, our dog’s were trained to always be with us. They had jobs to do that fulfilled their needs. One dog protected the animals on our farm and the other protected the family and home. From morning to-night the dogs were with us and lived to please their masters and dog training had a purpose.

This was the way it was for most dogs throughout history, we bred and conditioned them to serve us and they were an intricate part of everyday life. Today however it seems that more and more people have to leave their dogs behind while they go to work and school. It is here that we have failed our dogs.

What we lack in online time, we make up on good old quality bonding time.

What I mean is that we have trained and conditioned dogs to live with us in our homes and they want to be with us at all times, but when people go away and leave the dog’s inside the house for extended periods of time, they become very anxious about where we are and when we will be coming back, and often this anxiety leads to destructive behavior, ie chewing, barking, pooping and peeing all over the house.

The fact that we have trained our dogs to want to be with us at all times is not the problem, the problem is that we have not taught them to be by themselves. Most dogs don’t know how to deal with their humans leaving the home. They get very anxious about it, and will act out if they are not shown how to be when they are alone. I want you to know that this can be remedied. When you take the time to show your dog how to relax on their own they will become more independent and the anxiety they suffer through when we are away will not be as traumatic and with time the problem behavior will begin to go away.

Dog training is about more than getting your dog to sit, or come when called. If you want to learn more about how you can help your dog be more independent when you leave them at home, them leave a comment with your questions and I will answer them in a timely fashion.

I hope this has helped you gain some understanding of what your dog is going through each time you leave them.

Until next time, remember to take the time to help your dog to live in a calm and submissive state of mind.