There’s an amazing trend in the dog word with the development of social media and video sharing sites. We can watch so many amazing trainers and their fantastic dogs doing tricks, performing perfect leash skills and heel positions to music. We can watch step by step how they got there.
What I love is the inspiration. What I don’t love is the inadvertent message of “you should be doing this too!” that I feel when I watch them.
Well, I’m here to tell you that’s NOT the message. The message is actually “you COULD be doing this too!”
What’s the difference? You ask. Well, the difference is what you want to be doing. What brings you joy. Those trainers spend every day training their dogs to perform those amazing feats. They want their dogs to be on stage, either online or in the real world.
I don’t want that. What brings me joy is a friend that understands me.
Let’s talk about expectations.
My expectation, that I have recently come to understand, is that I really just want a good dog that listens to me. You know, a good family pet. One that travels well in a car, meets new people and dogs appropriately, doesn’t drag me down the road, that can go to the park with me and my family and not be freaked out by cars, kids, other dog etc. You get the drift. The GOOD dog.
The other day I was in my room backed into a narrow walkway between the bed and the dresser trying to put on my shoes. Henry dog came up to be near me but it made it impossible for me to do what I needed. I told him “Henry, Out!” and he left my tiny little space leaving me the room to put my shoes on without injury or breaking something.
Wow…what a simple concept. I ask him to do something and he does. GOOD dog Henry!
Same thing, my husband was going in and out of the front door with his hands full. He told both dogs to stay and they did.
Dropped food? “leave it”
Walk around the park with a dog friend? Easy peasy!
GOOD DOG!
Now these small things may not seem huge to the folks that train for competition, but to the average dog owner (and I mean the average in a statistical way) we just want them do what we want.
I feel I must tell you that my dog Henry DOES do tricks. He can take a bow, jump for joy, shake my hand, ring a doorbell, spin in circles, get in a box and many more. But I’ve met so many people and dogs that are not ready to learn all of those types of tricks. Those tricks are not what makes my life happy and easy on a daily basis.
I’m not saying one group of trainers and dog owners is better than another. I’m saying be clear on your expectations.
That left me with an interesting thought. If those are my expectations, I wonder what my students and future students expectations are and I wonder how I can help them achieve their goals with their dogs. That is why I teach the Manners 101 course. To help owners get a deeper understanding of their expectations and how to achieve them. Oh, I do add a few easy tricks in the 101 class. I find it really helps everyone understand the teaching process and keeps people happy.
It’s my passion to help people and dogs learn to communicate with each other in a manner that is fun and easy.
How can I help you?
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