Dog behavior is often influenced by how you perceive it.

Something that has always fascinated me throughout my training career is the vast spectrum of how my clients and people at large hold perspectives on dogs and how they behave. I have worked with loads of different dog behaviors and I am always surprised by how my clients view certain behaviors and what meaning they assign to said behaviors. 

Meriam Webster defines perspective: 

as in viewpoint

a way of looking at or thinking about something

The perspective my clients hold about their dogs behavior has a direct impact on how they treat their dog and in my case how they want to approach training their dog. 

A key component of the way I train and approach working with my clients is helping them see what behaviors their dog displays that I think should be modified or shifted and behaviors that they may think are a huge problem but I don’t think need to be modified. Each trainer has their own core set of ethics and for me it really boils down to this. Is the behavior the dog is displaying species appropriate. In other words, is the behavior at its core what it really means to be a dog and is the behavior the dog is displaying causing undue harm to the dog, owner or society. 

Very often, my clients' perspective on their dog's behavior is influenced by their own desires and definition of what it means to own a dog and more importantly what a “good dog” really is to them. If the dog's behavior doesn’t align with what they expect of their dogs, it usually causes some friction. While my goal is always to empower the human, canine bond I do have to help my clients understand that dogs can’t be molded into boxes. We have to celebrate their very dogness. This often takes shape when I encourage my clients to allow species appropriate behaviors. For example, sniffing. It’s been a while but early on in my career I faced clients that didn’t want their dogs to sniff on walks and wanted them to walk like a robot at their side. In this case I had to shift the clients perspective on what sniffing is to their dog. Sniffing is a core right and while there can always be a happy medium of reliable leash skills and ability to focus on the handler, we can not change the fact that their dogs strongest sense is their sense of smell. By changing their perspective I help to set the tone for a walk that is enjoyable for both the dog and the owner. 

I am the first to admit that we can not always allow our dogs to rehearse species appropriate behaviors. We can’t let our dogs chase and kill all the animals they might want to. We can’t let our dogs run at large on no leash and be a menace to society but I am always doing my best to change perspectives on behaviors that aren’t bad but hard wired and implement training protocols to teach the dogs to inhibit themselves and behave in a more desirable way. Many times when a strong prey drive is present, my clients are frustrated and they really just want the behavior to stop. This leaves an opening for the use of aversive training tools, which I always advocate against using. The main reason being, that in my humble opinion it is cruel to shock, choke, pinch and or hit a dog for a behavior that is normal and natural to them. Instead I change my clients perspective to helping their dog behave in a more productive way instead of punishing them for a behavior they have little control over. 

The vast majority of my work over the years has focused on reactive and aggressive behaviors. I often work with first time dog owners that just can’t understand why their dog is behaving in such loud and disruptive ways. Their perspective on the behavior is usually limited to the outdated dominance lens. They assume that their dog is trying to be dominant and this shifts their perspective to believing that their dog is trying to push them around. When in fact the dog's behavior has almost nothing to do with dominance or pushing them around and has to do with how the dog is feeling when faced with triggers. A very popular saying in dog training is “your dog is having a hard time, not trying to give you a hard time” and this is the perspective I am always advocating for. Dogs behave for a countless number of reasons but trying to make your life hard is never one of them. 

What perspective you hold of your dog's behavior is going to directly impact the way you interact with them and the way you train them. I think it is important to check your perspective and seek help when you are unsure of what to make of your dog's behaviors. (Be sure to seek out a qualified professional, the dog training industry is completely unregulated. You can read this blog to learn more about finding a trainer)

What perspective do you hold of your dogs behavior? 

Could it be shifted to understand and appreciate them more?

-Rachel