As owners, we are responsible for making decisions for our dogs based on what we perceive is best for them. As a result, it is essential that we educate ourselves to endeavour to understand them as carefully as possible. (Visit my post on Body Language for more on this.)
My passion is always to help people understand their dogs better and better so that dogs and their people can have a higher quality of life together. So, even if you feel that you know your dog really well (which I’m sure you do), carry on reading. I want to paint a word picture for you that I hope will reveal something new to add to your mental encyclopaedia on how your dog sees the world.
What Your Stubborn/Spiteful/Dominant Dog Might Be Thinking…
Stubborn dogs are a real thing. These are dogs that have a mind of their own and refuse to listen when you tell them to do something even when they know what you want, and usually do it!
However, I would like to suggest that just because your dog isn’t listening, or just because they’re misbehaving, doesn’t mean they are necessarily stubborn.
Here’s the hypothetical thought process that might be going on in their brain instead:
- “Mum is asking me to do something. I know she wants something, but what? Now she’s raised her voice. I’ll have to appease her and make her happy again. So, I’ll rush at her and jump and lick!” This isn’t a bad dog, it’s a confused dog!
- “We’re going for a nice calm walk in this familiar street. Ooo, now we’ve turned down a street I’ve never seen before. Quick, get all the smells as fast as possible!” This dog has too many distractions to deal with and unclear criteria for those distractions.
- “I’m really enjoying this walk. Oh no! There’s a dog coming! Now I’ve got to protect myself and my owner! Grrrr… and snap!” This isn’t a bad dog, it’s a stressed/fearful/anxious dog.
- “There’s my owners hand with treats in it. So, I’m meant to follow the treats and do what she says. This is fun! Hang on, she’s moved her hand up. So that must mean, jump!” This is a dog struggling with bad timing or confusing body language in training.
- “Yay! Guests have arrived. I know not to jump on my owners, but I guess I can jump on strangers because I’ve never been told otherwise!” This dog hasn’t had enough practise to equip it for the new situation.
To avoid confusion for your dog and to ensure that you can both succeed, keep in mind that you’ve got to teach them things first before they can perform up to scratch! Be patient and you’ll soon find that your change in mind-set will create a change in your dog’s behaviour.
This quote from Ian Dunbar is great to get the right mind-set:
“Training a puppy (I might add – or any dog) is like raising a child. Every single interaction is a training opportunity.”
Dr Ian Dunbar
With this in mind – go train! Have fun! See results!
If you are at the point where nothing is working anymore and you feel like your dog is a hopeless case, get in touch! At Follow My Lead, we’re best at turning even the most stubborn dogs into compliant bundles of joy!