03/02/2023
Okay, so forgive me for hi-jacking a well-known saying from the awesome Jocko Willink...but it was just too perfect to not use.
So many struggle imposing structure, rules, discipline, and accountability with their dogs. They feel badly. They feel guilty. They’re worried they’ll make their dogs sad, unhappy creatures, forced to “obey”.
What so many are missing is that it’s the exact opposite. By sharing a more disciplined life with your dog, you earn, and get to enjoy, a bigger, more fun, less stressed life together.
Through that discipline you can earn the freedom to take your dog to restaurants, parks, hikes, beaches. You can have them included in family gatherings, and perhaps even enjoy a simple, relaxing, connected, stress-free walk.
Of course, this is true in our own lives. The more we demand of ourselves, the more freedom, health, and depth of life we enjoy. But even here, with the obvious connection of benefits to our own selves, we still resist.
There’s no doubt that creating discipline, with you or your dog is no easy task - mentally or physically. If it was, everyone would do it. But there’s no getting around the fact that well-behaved dogs get to go a lot more places, and enjoy a lot more life than those who are a mess.
So the decision is up to you. Take the easy way, and endure the harder, smaller life, or take the harder way, and enjoy the bigger, better life.
