So often we talk about all the things that we want our dogs to do. We want them to be calm, we want them to be patient, we want them to respect boundaries, we want them to understand what we ask them to do. We have certain expectations when it comes to our dog’s behaviour.
What we tend to forget is that this is a team effort.
If we want our dogs to do all the above-mentioned things, we need to also be a part of it and reflect those things.
Are you constantly overly excited, frazzled, all over the place? You can’t expect your dog to be calm.
Are you consistently inconsistent by implementing rules one day and you “don’t feel like it” the next day? You can’t expect your dog to be consistent in their behaviour.
Turn it around and look at it from their perspective. What can they expect from you?
If they find a loop hole, they are smart enough to not follow your lead.
Take a moment to think about how you do things with your dog, what you expect, and what they can expect from you. You’re in this together.