Talk Is Great, But Now What?
“I don’t give a shit about theories or what have you. I care that my dog doesn’t listen. So what do I do?”
Does that sound about right? Or some version of that anyway? Here’s the thing, all the theories and possibilities are all well and great until you got a dog in front of you. All those theories and possibilities are all well and great until you have a uncompliant, high drive dog in front of you. Because until you have a dog in your life and are caring for them 24/7, all the YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or other social media clip you’ve seen, go out the window.
Here is what I would say about THEORIES, they’re great until they’re not. That’s why I don’t subscribe to one particular dogma, see what I did there uhh, or pigeon hole myself to a singular philosophy. Learning about different theories so you have it in your arsenal so when you need it you got it. When something doesn’t go according to plan you can pull that one eccentric idea that you heard about from way back when out of your tool chest and have your dog reap the benefits.
Enough theory talk
Let’s get into the dirt and talk PRACTICALLY. So what’s stronger than the best theory ever cultivated? Bond, James Bond. That’s right, a bond is the greatest thing you can develop and nurture when you have a dog. That bond is special. It’s unique, it’s everlasting. It’s what makes you and your dog your ride or die.
It’s that deep bond that creates a level of trust and respect through sheer osmosis. But how?
Make yourself more valuable. Be the beacon of light your dog needs. You think hand feeding has been preached since the dawn of time for no apparent reason?
New Dog, Old Dog, New Trick
Yup, HAND FEEDING. Your new dog needs to understand your their source of survival. Hand feeding can help them realize this also at the same time solve a lot of possessive issues, insecurities especially those first formative days when you brought them into a new house and new surroundings.
The other cool thing that helps the bonding process is your dog getting comfortable and familiarized with your touch. What? Touch? I love petting puppies and dogs , why does touch matter. You should be able to hold your dog, be able to touch their paws , inner legs, ears, anywhere you want. It’s like a significant other versus a complete stranger. Chances are you trust a significant others touch more. If your significant other wanted to or needed to touch or see something on you l, you’d let them. You might not like it, or maybe you would depends on what we’re talking about. Either way you’d let them more often than not. Versus a complete stranger, you’d shake hands with I.e the equivalent to a couple of pets from a stranger . But you wouldn’t let them random start inspecting you until there’s some familiarity and trust built.
So whether if you just brought home a new puppy, you adopted a dog, bought one from a breeder, or rescued one. Hand feeding is the first thing you want to do. Want them to understand the crate better? Hand feed. Want to train them better? Hand feed. Want to build more trust? Hand feed. Want more order and discipline? Hand feed. If you want them to understand the hierarchy of the household better? Hand feed. Speaking of which.
Just to be thorough because I don’t want there to be any confusion. Hand feeding means exactly that. You take their food and let them eat it out of your hand. If they get too excited and nip to hard, close your hand and hold it in front of them. Do not move it, just keep it closed. Moving it will only build more excitement which can lead into different behaviors. Holding it there, not moving, you are painting the picture of that was not allowed.
BOUNDARIES
Sounds counterintuitive, how do you hand feed your dog but keep boundaries? Like all good training there are contradictions left and right. With that said it’s important to differentiate those contradictions.
With Hand Feeding you are their life line, with boundaries you are the safe guard. Best way to set those boundaries are with the crate. If you are not crate training be prepared to enter a world of hurt.
The crate is the dog’s place, the house is your realm. The dog in the crate is like a tenant and you are the landlord. You require certain things. Everyone loves a good tenant. But when a tenant is a pain in the ass they get evicted. And that’s the last thing I want for you, your dog, and your guy’s relationship. I don’t want you to get to the point where you have to get rid of them. And the crate is a valuable asset every dog owner should have. Why?
It sets the tone for everything. More importantly. Here your dog gets to Observe And Report. Your dog is more observant than you give them credit for. So by having them in the crate they get to see your world. They see the hierarchy of the family, they see what’s appropriate and what’s not. You just have to overcome the emotional aspect of them in the crate. Because our brains are wired to be sympathetic so it’s normal to say or be like ‘oh they’re always in there.’ Or ‘let them out, they spend most of their life in a crate.’ I get it. But if it gives them a better life for the long haul then the sacrifice is well worth it.
In the end, theories are great. But a few things are tried and true. You want a dog that holds you to high regard and respects you, hand feed them. If you want a dog to understand boundaries and what’s allowed and what isn’t crate train. Are there things in the middle that’ll help you set the pace, sure, but for now, stick to the basics. Especially in the beginning. It’s a lot easier to do things right when you got a blank slate. It’s harder to break certain habits when they’ve been conditioned, nurtured, and encouraged a behavior that you don’t want.
