Your Dog Isn’t Giving You A Hard Time, They’re Having A Hard Time

People often think the dog is trying to make their life difficult. In reality, the dog is usually trying to survive a moment they don’t fully understand. A dog that’s overwhelmed doesn’t need more emotion from the owner. They need more clarity. I’ve been using that word a lot lately, but I don’t think enough people fully grasp the notion.

Clarity comes with purpose. There’s purpose in everything we do. There’s purpose in everything a dog does.

Training Behaviors Vs Managing Problems

There’s a difference between Training for certain behaviors Vs Managing problems. Robert Cabral recently wrote about this. I give credit where credit is due. Here’s my take.

Training Behaviors means teaching the dog what you expect. If you say ‘X’ they give you ‘X’ behavior. Or if they are so systematically trained when certain environmental factors come into play they automatically do a given behavior.

An example of this is when I walk Arya now, if she sees other people with their dogs she will automatically come into heeling position without my asking of her because we’ve done this process over and over with rewards and praise.

Managing Problems is you know your dog doesn’t like certain things and they can become aggressive, even bite. But rather than exposing them to the same scenario again and teaching them what you want. You avoid the problem.

When you have a dog that’s:

• avoidant

• reactive

• shutdown

• pulling

• barking

• disobedient

All these things come off as defiance. But really it’s a lack of understanding what you want from the dog. As in life, if you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead your dog. And if you have a breed that’s heavy in needing leadership and authority, that said defiance will only amplify.

If dogs are not led and taught what you want, they will take matters to their own hands. Meaning dogs are either conflict avoidant or they elicit a behavior in order to get what they want.

Avoidance and Reactivity typically occur because the dog is uncomfortable. Most of those behaviors are in the form of barking, growling, jumping etc. Anything that will deter the thing they’re unsure about from getting closer.

Avoidance Creates Bigger Issues Long Term

Avoiding anything that will help you grow is blasphemy. Sometimes we have to go through something we don’t want to do or we may feel uncomfortable doing. But with enough time it usually makes us stronger. Same thing is true for your dog. You may have the inclination to avoid difficult things with your dog simply due to lack of understanding and knowledge. But avoidance is not the answer. It only makes matters worse.

Taking responsibility for your dog is the first sign of being a good dog owner. Take responsibility, then you can control how your dog behaves. Once you see the potential of the dog, rather only the problem. It opens you up to explore and express new possibilities. There are no limits. Only limits that you set. By extension if you avoid specific behaviors out of fear, angst, embarrassment, you are only limiting yourself and your dogs.

Final Thought

Most dogs are not trying to challenge you. They’re trying to understand how to navigate the pressure around them. Leadership is not about overpowering the dog emotionally or avoiding every difficult situation. It’s about becoming clear enough that the dog no longer feels lost. Confusion creates stress. Understanding creates confidence. And confidence changes everything.