08/29/2024
What is "structure" when we’re talking about dog training?
It's the rules and boundaries that you set up in your dog's life that let you both know exactly what's expected in any given situation. It can be as loose or strict as you want, but keep in mind that behavioral issues have a hard time setting in if the dog's daily routine is predictable, which is what structure provides.‼️
For example: Having them wait at the doorway with you before going out, waiting to be released for meals, or having them go to ‘Place’ when guests come over. For the multi-dog households, letting them play rough in certain areas of the house, or outside only.
All of these are examples of household structure.✔️🟢
And, again, structure provides predictability, which teaches the dog what to do in any given situation. This prevents them from having to figure it out for themselves, which can easily lead to bad habits. So, for those puppies, and dogs with behavioral issues, we want to ensure that their life is as structured as possible!
Later on, after certain things become habits, then we can ease off on the strictness of it and start bending rules and boundaries, because they will no longer need to be told how to behave, and we can trust that they'll make good decisions. But, even at that point, going back to that structure while you train them will be very beneficial to prevent undesirable behaviors from redeveloping!