04/11/2024
Good morning All,
I’m often asked what it’s like being a dog trainer and what do dog trainers really do?
The scope of a dog trainer’s practice is completely up to that individual’s preferences of goals set for each dog and goals set for their business as a whole. Which can leave a lot of gray area in the dog training industry. I like to think that we each try our absolute best at putting the dog’s needs and wellbeing at the forefront of our business.
As most of you already know I focus a lot of my efforts on education based training. There’s no gatekeeping with me lol
I’m always more than happy to share my knowledge and experience with clients. To foster an understanding of how their dog feels and views the world. (To our best educated guess, as no one can truly know 100% of the time what an animal feels.)
In doing this I often “Change the Narrative”, as one client put it a few weeks ago. A line of words that truly resonated with me, because of how true they are.
So today I’d like to share what “Change the Narrative” looks like in a real life scenario. (Please note these are fictional people/dogs).
Clare:
Clare has owned golden retrievers her whole life. She adores her most recent golden retriever Biscuit. Biscuit can be a little bit of a skittish fellow, but Clare loves him all the same. Recently Biscuit has been wandering a little too far out of the yard. Clare calls for him to return, but more often than not he will look at her and continue on without bothering to listen. This has caused frustration for Clare.
So in an effort to keep Biscuit on the property Clare has purchased an electric invisible fence. Biscuit has run up to the fence twice this week and so far the pre-shock vibration has deterred him from crossing.
On Thursdays Clare’s best friend comes over with her daughter Suzy. Suzy adores Biscuit and the two of them race around the yard playing fetch. Biscuit will often smother the girl in kisses.
This Thursday Suzy arrived with her mom and Biscuit ran to greet her. Crossing over the fence Biscuit recived a shock and yelped retreating back to the deck. Clare told him he was fine and was glad to see the fence was working well to keep him contained to the yard.
Later when inside Biscuit was acting a bit disgruntled about the whole thing Clare thought as he moved behind the couch away from Suzy. Who simply wanted to give him pets.
Suzy moved behind the couch to where Biscuit was pouting and reached to pet him. Clare couldn’t see behind the couch, but both her and Suzy’s mom heard the menacing growl before a snap of teeth. Suzy began to cry out of shock, thankfully Biscuit hadent drawn blood.
Horrified at the exchange, Clare grabbed biscuit by the collar, scolding him for such an awful outburst. She dragged him outside and slammed the door behind him, returning back to tend to poor frightened Suzy. Clare apologized profusely to Suzy and her mom and assured them that he had never done something like this before.
So now let’s “Change the Narrative” and see what Biscuit might think of all this.
Biscuit:
Biscuit adores his mom, though she can be unpredictable, he still enjoys her company. Each day biscuit, patrols the yard, and does a good job of keeping the wildlife out of him and his mother‘s property. His mom would sometimes join in barking at the wildlife from the deck. This would make her cranky and unsafe to approach. The angrier she would get the louder she would bark. But biscuit was a smart boy, and he knew when she barked loud like this, and crossed her arms, to not approach her. For sometimes she would attack him, grabbing onto his collar and dragging him back into the house.
Today biscuit went to patrol the property when a buzzing sound started to shake the fur on his neck. This confused biscuit, and he turned back from where he was headed to see where his mom was for comfort. She patted him on the head and didn’t seem concerned so Biscuit thought nothing more on it and stayed away from that area in case the noise came back.
Two familiar humans arrived in the driveway. Biscuit jumped up from his nap on the deck and raced across the yard to greet them. Just as he reached the driveway, the small human that he wasn’t always so sure about but often brought his favourite ball with her, lifted the ball for him to see.
Biscuit bounded faster towards her, until suddenly pain radiated through his neck.
The child had attacked him!
Biscuit yelped, and retreated back to the step. Now wary of the unpredictable child and the invisible pain she brought with her.
Later inside Biscuit did all that he could to avoid the child. He used chairs and couches to try and hide and keep some distance while he assessed whether or not, she was a threat to him and his mom. The child pursued him, following him wherever he used to hide. Using his body language, he told the child that he was uncomfortable with her, and that he did not trust her any more. The child did not listen to his pleas and cornered him behind the couch. Reaching her hand out to attack once again.
Biscuit’s mom had not acknowledged the threat lurking in the room, and had not defended him against the child. So he decided he must now take it upon himself to defend himself, and his mother.
Biscuit tried pleading with the child one more time to leave him be, and that he did not want any trouble. Again the child ignored him and advanced closer. This left Biscuit with no other option. With the couch pushed against the wall the child had cut off his only exit to escape.
He growled his warning, and snapped at her out reached finger.
Finally, the child listened and retreated back away from him.
His mother hollered scolding him and grabbing him by the collar, her unpredictability returned.
Perhaps this child is more of a threat than he had thought? Making his mom unsafe to be around also.
Either way Biscuit would know for next time that the child was a threat and he would do a better job of ensuring him and his mother’s safety against her. 🐕
It’s amazing how quickly a simple story can change when viewed from a different perspective.
So who was in the wrong?
Was it Biscuit? Suzy? Clare? Suzy’s mother?
The truth is everyone would give a different opinion on who was wrong in this scenario.
But we all can agree that education could have prevented it.
If Clare or even Suzy’s mother had understood, canine communication and body language, they would have known that Biscuit was uncomfortable.
When we bring animals into our homes we must take the time to educate and learn what we can. You would not bring a bear-cub or wolf pup into your home without first educating yourself on their behaviours and needs, would you?
And if a Bear-cub bit a child, would you blame the Bearcub? Would you blame the child?
This is not to shame anyone in this particular, fictional story, we do the best we can with the knowledge we have at hand, but it’s some simple food for thought on a rainy Thursday.
I hope this reaches the people who need it and encourages everyone to pause and “Change the Narrative.”
You might be surprised what you find out about your fur companion when you do.🐾
