Many people often ask me how it is that my dogs are so well-behaved.
But in reality, it’s not so much about them being well-behaved — at least not for me. For me, it’s more about them feeling good, and then the good behavior just comes as an extra bonus.
It’s because when a dog feels good, it also behaves well.
A completely calm and confident dog doesn’t suddenly start barking excessively, biting at other dogs, or scratching the furniture.
That’s why simply training a dog to behave properly doesn’t really fix anything.
You can train them to behave nicely so that it looks good, but it doesn’t actually solve the problem — it just makes it look like the problem is gone. And that doesn’t help in the long run. The dog will still be stressed inside.
It also means that if you don't constantly keep up with the training, the dog’s bad behavior will quickly return.
Instead, it’s much better to figure out what the actual problem is.
Not just thinking, “My dog bites at other dogs,” but asking, “Why does my dog bite at other dogs?”
There can be many reasons: it could be afraid of big dogs, nervous about walking on a leash, or have experienced some kind of trauma.
In a way, it doesn’t matter what the reason is — because once you find out what’s making the dog stressed or anxious, you can help it overcome its fear.
When the dog is no longer afraid, it also stops reacting inappropriately.
And then you have a dog that is both happy and well-behaved.
Comments