28/01/2024
Soap box adjusted for announcement: 📢 If my clients listen to anything I say, they know “all four paws on the floor at all times”, “they are dogs not children”, and “they need strict boundaries”, are phrases they will hear me say frequently. The shocking situations I see clients in with their dogs on a daily basis, behind closed doors, due to varying reasons, is frustrating and alarming, but never really surprising. Jumping up, pushing in front of family members, resource guarding, lunging at other dogs, soiling at over 6 months old, barking the second you leave a room, severe separtion anxiety. They are all too common situations. A lot of people think they have just a “dog” or “pet” in their house. Fact is, more often than not, you have a working canine. Mixed breed or pedigree, the owner has no idea what the dog was bred to do. Dogs have all been bred for a job. It doesn’t matter if “they are so good in the house” but then turn into a frenzied dangerous monster outside. That’s on you. It’s up to you to know what your dog was bred for. Do your research. Its your responsibility to know how your dog will pan out personally traits wise. If you own a big dog that needs a lot of exercise (like we do, 2 Weimarners) live in London, and don’t have a car that you can drive that dog to a large open varied terrain to walk (ie forest) EVERY SINGLE DAY do not get that dog. Mixed breeds are often bred from a working/hunting line. That line will be the main determiner of how the attitude and needs of your dog will work out. The lack of understanding and basic research on dog ownership is so sad. In the end it’s the dog that suffers, which I must admit some days makes me quite cross. I’m lucky, my clients are pretty amazing, and for the most part take on board everything I teach. I say to my clients from day one “working with me you may not like me, in fact you may activity dislike me, I’m not here to be your friend, but you will have an immaculately behaved dog and happy thriving dog.” That’s all that matters. Just because you can does not mean you should.