Recently I have come across a number of frustrated Tampa dog owners. Now, don’t get me wrong, people don’t call me who have perfect dogs, so there is always a level of frustration with a dog during a typical phone call or training lesson. This kind of frustration that I want to address is much different. When I see local Tampa dog owners struggling with their dogs it usually comes from a place of heightened energy, frustration and anxiety. Sometimes when we take a deep breath, take our time, and exude confidence in ourselves our dogs follow suit. It pains me to watch people struggling, which in turn makes their dog struggle. All this leads to is a giant amount of frustration at both ends of the leash. So here are some of my tips and advice to help you and your dog create a better bond and relationship through training.
Take your time, go slow! If we rush through things such as putting a collar and leash on, or walking out the door our dog picks up on those subtle cues and body language and the task will not go as smooth as you would like. By taking your time you will approach these tasks from the right state of mind and so will your dog. Some things may seem to take more time when you go slow but the fight and frustration won’t be there.
Loose leash…ALWAYS, unless you need to tell your dog something! I see so many instances of constant pressure on a dog’s collar because of a tight leash. Remember unless you have something to say don’t put pressure on the leash! Pressure means information, and we teach our dog to reach to the pressure so that it goes away. If they never have a chance of making it go away then they will either ignore it or act increasingly flighty to try anything to turn it off. A leash means communication, so don’t use it unless you have something to say!
Put your dog away! Sometimes everyone needs a reset or a timeout. You and your dog can benefit from some quiet time apart. If you find yourself getting frustrated or not approaching training with the right state of mind, just go home, end it and put your dog away!
Get yourself in the right mind set before even taking training head on. If you are not in the right state of mind, how can you be a leader to your dog? If you are in the middle of training and something is not going quite right reset your mind and attitude, your dog will follow suit.
Exude confidence, even if your not! I tell my owners I would rather have you do the wrong thing with confidence than do the right thing with hesitation! Your dog will feel that confidence and follow suit. If you are acting with hesitation or from a place of frustration then you are just creating a recipe for further frustration.
Relax and enjoy the moment or small success you are having with your dog. Remember, having fun is the main goal. If you are not having fun, then I am pretty sure your dog isn’t either.
If you bring a heightened sense of energy to the training table then your dog is likely to follow suit. Constant talking or relaying of information (stimulus) is just going to intensify the situation. Sometimes if we relax ourselves, and only give our dog the information they need we will in turn create a less stressful environment and experience for them. Thereby creating that same environment for us.
Training is all about having fun with your dog, if you are not having fun then you are not accomplishing your goal. Nobody wants to do anything that is arduous, painful or taxing emotionally, mentally or physically…and your dog is no different! Remember, you and your dog are a team. So ask yourself, what is your intention and what kind of team do you want to be? I don’t think anyone would say they want to struggle or hate being with our dog. If you find yourself feeling that way then try all of the things that I listed. My hope is to help better your relationship with your dog. If your intention is not to be frustrated, then you can change that! Take a breath and relax. This is not serious, it only dog training!
