I often find myself pondering the human/canine dilemma and wondering: why on earth would dogs choose to subject themselves to us . . . willingly?
Do you think a dog said, "Yes, we would like to be so misunderstood in so many ways that it creates dissent between them human folk regarding our care, feeding and training"? I doubt they thought those things at all.
In fact, if we consider the evolutionary development of dogs and humans, dogs chose to come into our lives because we gave them a free ride. They've trained us to make their lives super easy. With humans as their caregivers, they no longer had to feed themselves or find a warm, dry, sheltered place to sleep. They also got a few extras added to their existence, such as affection, car rides, fancy collars and leashes, and getting dressed up in human clothing - to name a few luxuries that come with living with humans. All great rewards from us to our dogs.
But what humans seem to have forgotten in the evolutionary process of the human/canine relationship is that dogs are, well, dogs. This means that, given the opportunity, they will be dogs, since that is the only thing they know how to be. Some people may think, "And what's so bad about that?" Well, it becomes bad when a dog being a dog interferes with a human being a human and causes great disharmony. When that happens, dog poop starts to hit the fan and a dog trainer is called in to clean it up. This is done by setting boundaries for the dog, limiting the expression of unwanted behaviour and encouraging wanted behaviour.
Boundaries and limitations are not, and should not be considered, a form of dominance over a dog. The words dominance, alpha, pack leader, master, top dog, etcetera, have been so misinterpreted and misused over the years that they have become politically incorrect to utter in even the slightest form of conversation about dogs. The words themselves are not bad; the old-school abusive training associated with them is.
Setting boundaries and limitations means teaching a dog to curb its (human perceived) unwanted behaviours and live within the boundaries of human existence, creating a harmonious environment instead of a stressful one. Not allowing a dog to rush up and down the stairs ahead of its owner is not saying "alpha human first, dog second." It is setting a boundary for the dog in order to limit the unwanted behaviour of rushing and teaching the dog to wait until its human passes to encourage patience. Yes, a dog can be patient if given the opportunity.
A dog that is prevented from going out the door first is not being dominated; rather, it is being taught the natural, desirable behaviour of self-control. Sitting and waiting to have its leash put on before it goes out the door will prevent it from expressing the unwanted behaviour of running into the street and chasing an animal, child or jogger, which may cause harm. It also teaches a dog to look for direction and guidance, which are two wanted, natural behaviours that dogs are more than willing to express if given the opportunity.
Not allowing a dog to run around the house like it's a race track is not a case of a master limiting a dog's enthusiasm. Rather, it sets a boundary that encourages a natural, wanted dog behaviour of calmness and peacefulness instead of unwanted frenetic behaviour.
Limiting unwanted behaviours and encouraging wanted behaviours make it easier for dogs and their owners to understand one another. Dogs become more predictable as they begin to seek ways to express those wanted behaviours and illicit wanted behaviours from their owners.
Setting boundaries for dogs decreases stress for both dogs and humans. With limited stress, a dog begins to engage more with its owner.
When a dog seeks to engage with its person, it creates peace and harmony in the home and in the relationship shared by the dog and human.
Joan Klucha has been working with dogs for more than 15 years in obedience, tracking and behavioural rehabilitation. Contact her through her website k9kinship.com.
