Expectations
Anyone who invites a dog into their household will have expectations of what they want their life to be like with their new dog. The majority of people who come to us want a good family pet and companion. If we listed the top three requirements of most owners they would include:
- The dog comes back when called
- The dog does not jump all over people
- The dog does not pull like a train on the lead
If you have a dog that can achieve these three things, you are well on the way to having a fabulous relationship for the next 12 to 15 years. So how come these seem to be the things with which dog owners have most trouble? Some (but not all) clues are as follows:
- Coming back when called
We go to great lengths to take our dogs to places that are full of fabulous smells and interesting people and dogs. We love to watch them sniffing the undergrowth, playing with pals and generally being dogs. The only time we tend to call them back to us is to put them on the lead and end their fun. It does not take a dog long to realise that to extend the fun he has to keep away from the owner.
Come to us to learn how to be more rewarding to your dog than anything else in his world.
- Paws on the floor
Some people love dogs and when your boisterous and extremely cute dog jumps up to get nearer to their face, they will tell you that they don’t mind because they have their old clothes on. The next six people your dog meets will have good clothes on and will stop your dog jumping up by fair means or foul. The seventh person will then let your dog jump up for a cuddle. In your dog’s mind he now knows he has to persevere and try at least seven people before he gets what he wants.
Come to us to teach your dog a more rewarding behaviour and get tips on how to train people to stop sabotaging your dog!
- Walking on a loose lead
Dogs only pull on the lead because humans follow. That may sound trite but it is true. If from the first day you put your dog on the lead you only ever moved forwards if the lead was slack, your dog would learn that was the only way to go where it wanted. If you move forwards whilst your dog is pulling you will be teaching it to pull. This is even more true for extending leads as they teach dogs that pressure on the lead has the required effect of getting even further forward. Loose lead walking is the ultimate test of self-control for a dog.
Come to us to learn effective and kind ways to teach your dog to walk nicely by your side.
Of course, there are many other expectations we have of our dogs and we can help you to train behaviours such as waiting before taking food, waiting before getting out of the car or going through doors, retrieving toys to hand and performing sit, down or stand on command amongst many others.
If you wish to develop your relationship further, you may want to explore what other hobbies are available for you and your dog. Please visit our other pages for ideas on gun dog training.
