I admit, I saw it coming a good 50 feet away, a group of women out for a walk with their dogs heading toward me.
The dogs all varied in size from small to large breeds.
As we closed the gap, the women with the larger dogs placed them on leash - the small dog did not get leashed. I then placed my two dogs into a heel at my left side so that I would be buffer of sorts between the approaching group and my dogs.
When I do this, most small dog owners see that as a cue to get their dogs under control. Maybe it's because they see a 120-pound five-foot-six-inch woman walking two dogs whose combined weight is close to 200 pounds in a perfect heel and feel the pressure to at least look like they can control their dog. But today this woman with her small dog didn't seem to get the hint. As I walked by with my dogs her small dog came racing up, happy as a clam and did the worst thing any dog, regardless of size, could do. This small dog jumped up onto Zumi's arthritic and dysplastic hip in an attempt to mount her to show dominance. Zumi yelped in pain, turned and snapped at the dog and if I had not had her leashed, she would have made contact.
Hearing Zumi yelp, the woman, looking surprised, simply said, "Herman is such a happy boy, that's why he does that."
Annoyed, I replied, "My dogs are happy as well and they would never be allowed to run up to strange dogs or people uninvited."
I really wish that for the new year people would understand that a happy dog is not the same as a good dog and good dogs are made through consistent training and leadership.
I sometimes think that people with happy but untrained dogs have this idea that if they were to actually invest in some training for their dog, their dog would no longer be happy.
Trust me when I say this, your dog will become even happier when it is trained to be obedient and respectful.
How could this happen when training sets boundaries and limitations to a dog's life, you ask?
Well, unlike humans, dogs thrive in an environment of controlled boundaries. When dogs live a life filled with boundaries and rules they actually relax, become less stressed, even sleep more. This is because they are pack animals that instinctively need a pack leader and when they feel they have an adequate leader who will take care of the needs of the pack, they begin to relax. They are still happy but more in a state of zen, rather than excitability.
Training will not diminish your dog's personality; in fact it will enhance it. A dog that is taught self control and was once a happy yet overly excited dog will now be a happy dog that won't jump on people, bark uncontrollably or race away instead of coming when called. When a dog is more obedient, an owner enjoys its company much more. This in turn is expressed by greater affection from the owner to the dog and even more quality time spent together (be honest with yourself, if your dog was more obedient you would show it more affection and spend more time with it!). This then equals an even happier dog who feels a greater sense of belonging and a greater desire to please, because the better it behaves, the more attention and affection it gets. This means, an even more well-behaved dog!
What's not to like about training your dog? It's a win-win situation!
Make a commitment to your dog this year to help it become the happiest dog it can be by training it.
Joan has been working with dogs for more than 15 years in obedience, tracking and behavioural rehabilitation. Contact her at k9kinship.com.
