State of mind plays a large role in the behaviours of our house-hold canine companions. It can be said that dogs are a mirror to our inner emotions, and this is something that needs to be kept in mind when dealing with behavioural issues.
A nervous and apprehensive dog will have a much harder time changing his or her behaviour, even with training, if the owner is also nervous and apprehensive when handling the dog. Emotion and state of mind travel down the leash causing certain inappropriate or unwanted behaviours to escalate.
For example, if a dog is leash reactive and the owner is nervous or tense handling the dog on leash around what ever the dog is reactive to (ie. other dogs, kids etc.), the dog is likely to keep reacting negatively, regardless of training involved, unless the owner is willing to change or work on their own state of mind.
Easier said than done, right? Yes, it is. It often times means changing the whole demenour of an owner when they are handling and interacting with their dog. Using a positive, "I know I can" state of mind when dealing with behavioural issues is the best course of action to take by the owner. But to erase all those thoughts of "but when she sees fluffy white dogs, she'll go crazy", or the anticipation of the negative reaction is not easy. However, if it can be accomplished, along side proper training, it will garner a positive change and result for both owner and dog.
Can trainers read minds? No, but we can certainly read how you feel when you're holding the other end of your dogs leash.
If you have any questions about how to go about dealing with behaviour issues, and possibly changing the way you interact with your dog, feel free to email us at dogtraining101@hotmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your thoughts.