03/03/2024
Everything has its price. Want more soft, doting, affection time with your dog, but donāt want to turn your dog into a mess? Simple, pay the price of being a solid, healthy, selfless, and disciplined leader when needed and when appropriate, and you buy your way into what you desire.
Sadly, like many things in life, most want the fun/enjoyable stuff without paying the price to have it in a healthy fashion. The price of discipline, discomfort, and delayed gratification are simply too high, and so these peopleās dogsālike so many other aspects of their livesātake the hit for their inability to discipline themselves.
I personally love having my dogs on the couch and the bed, I also love being able to be super soft and affectionate and doting. But Iām not interested in having my dogs take the hit for my desires, nor am I interested in all of us taking the hit by having less freedom, less enjoyment, and more stressā¦simply because I want the good stuff but am unwilling to do the hard stuff.
So we have a handful of very clear rules, we are mindful of each of our dogās individual needs/personality/limits and their personal requirements for structure, and when trespasses occur there are appropriate negative consequences that clearly resonate with each dog. This simple approach allows myself, my wife, my dogs, and all those around us, to enjoy life together to its fullest.
This stuff isnāt complicated, although as of late weāve worked awfully hard to make it appear so. If you want the good stuff, man-up and woman-up, and pay the price. Otherwise, your dogs will. And, without realizing it, you will most certainly pay as wellājust in a different fashion.
As Jocko so simply says: āDiscipline equals freedom.ā Itās true with dogs, and itās true with everything else.
