Missing the point entirely: There is nothing wrong with your dog!
Have you ever thought about how we humans sometimes miss the point entirely? I don't mean missing the point of a joke being told...yes, that happens too (insert smile)...but we sometimes get so bogged down with our blinders on when it comes to our social interactions and relationships with other people - be it family members, friends, or just people we interact with that we don't take a moment to step back and re-assess before we act or speak.
We easily get offended or hurt, we take things personally, and then we 'attack'....we react. This happens frequently for most people, and it’s ‘normal’ to us.
It's quite funny how we then like to label our dogs as 'reactive' or 'aggressive' when in fact they are just responding (reacting) to unknown or scary stimuli (no different than us, really).
What if I told you that you are very reactive or aggressive in your dealings with other people... Most people would take offense to being labeled in that way, as if there is something wrong with you, right?
The point is we treat our dogs, our pets, as if there is something wrong with them and we have to correct their behavior. We have been conditioned to think that way for decades, thanks to the pet industry.....dog trainers, veterinarians, etc….if our dog is not well behaved, there is something wrong with the dog - OR the dog parents!
Why Do Dog Trainers Exist?
Why do dog trainers exist?
Have you ever thought about that?
Apart from the ‘obvious’ reason: Training a dog to perform certain skills and helping dogs and humans live harmoniously together - as you will hear from most trainers.
Wikipedia defines dog training as:
“Dog training is the act of teaching a dog particular skills or behaviors. Dog training includes teaching a dog to react to particular commands and cues as well as to act independently by deliberately changing their natural behavior.”
I don’t know about you - but I have a problem with that last sentence, “by deliberately changing their natural behavior.”. This is why I have become a Certified Family Dog Mediator and refer to myself as such, rather than a ‘trainer’