Uncomfortable truths

Some uncomfortable truths about dogs and dog training:

-If your dog has to be obedient to your every command, submissive to you and is punished if they ever put a foot out of line, that’s an abusive relationship.

-Your rescue dog may not have been abused, they might have been surrendered because of their pre-existing behaviour problems. They don’t like men? Maybe that’s why they were surrendered, not because they were beaten by a man. True, there are some truly awful abuse cases, but that is not every rehomed dog.

-The majority of behavior problems have a pain component. Many of us are in denial that our dogs could be in pain, but it’s much better to get it investigated than to bury our heads. Dogs can be very stoic, just because they aren’t yelping doesn’t mean there’s no pain.

-Your dog may stop having separation anxiety when you leave the driveway, or maybe you can’t hear them barking/ see them pacing anymore.

-Sometimes no walk is better than a walk where you are likely to come in contact with lots of triggers.

-Obesity kills pets. Ribs should be felt easily, and digging your fingers into their sides until you come across a rib doesn’t count. I know it’s easy for pets to become overweight, but constantly check their body condition and cut down on treats and meals where needed. It may save you a lot of vets bills and heartache.

-There is absolutely no need to get a large, high maintenance, powerful breed of dog if you aren’t going to be able to meet its needs. Bigger dogs are stronger, harder to transport, more expensive to feed and there’s just more of them. They may look cooler, but if you cannot cope with that, you might be better getting something smaller.

-If you’re planning on breeding your dog, ensure they have a good temperament and are healthy. If they skip when they walk, that’s probably a medical issue. If they bark at people, that’s probably a good reason not to breed from them.

-“The breed is supposed to be like this”, isn’t much of an excuse when your dog is unable to breathe or walk properly, or if they are genetically aggressive. Maybe that aggression is useful if your dog is performing their original job, but living in a built up town that is far removed from their place of origin, it’s important you consider your chosen breed carefully. And if they are in pain, deformed or aggressive, strongly consider whether breeding from them is ethical, even if the breed standard says it’s normal.

-A reactive dog may never truly be fixed. In fact, it’s pretty unlikely that they will ever be a completely normal dog. Things can get better, they can get more comfortable, more tolerant, more friendly. Don’t get me wrong, it can be a total life changer for them and life can get a million times easier, but you might always have to manage situations or keep an eye out for triggers.

-It’s not all how you raise them. This one is probably the most uncomfortable for me. If you do everything right, sometimes things go wrong. If you do everything wrong, sometimes you get lucky. It’s not fair, but it’s the way it is.

-Having a big garden alone often isn’t enough. If you have a big garden and you walk your dog in it, play with them in it, teach them tricks, interact with them etc, it’s great. Just having a garden doesn’t mean your dog is going to fully utilise it and it doesn’t replace interaction.

-Things don’t always work out in the end. Ignoring a problem until it goes away can sometimes lead to a far worse problem. But even if you do put the work in, sometimes dogs may have something deeper going on that is impossible to treat with just training. Maybe a neurological disease or a brain tumour. This is rare, but not unheard of.

-Having a dog on a long line can be more ethical than having them off. If your dog runs away, is a danger to itself or others, is going to pester unknown dogs, run into roads or seek out livestock to chase, just keep them on a long line. They can experience a degree of freedom without causing issues. You may think it’s unfair to reduce their freedom, but it’s more unfair on other people, other dogs, drivers and farm owners if your dog being off lead puts them at risk.

-Your dog doesn’t have to meet or be friends with everyone. They also don’t have to like everyone. But them not liking a particular demographic or breed of dog isn’t an excuse for them to run over and bark at them. It is your duty as the owner to manage those situations.

-Some harnesses are worse than just a lead and collar. I am adamantly pro-harness, however a poorly designed one can cause dogs more issues than they prevent. You want a nice Y-fronted one that isn’t too bulky and doesn’t impede movement.

-Dog trainers don’t know everything. Science changes and as we learn more, so do our opinions. If a dog trainer has been “doing it this way for fifty years,” that’s a major red flag. Our understanding of dogs moves on.