06/05/2024
This is a great explanation...and why we focus on building skills for your dog to be able to handle 'life' in our classes and behavior consultations over a lot of formal obedience.
What do you mean – obedience isn’t everything?
I want to make it clear that this post is not an excuse to let a dog run riot with no recall if they don't return when called yet, so if you don’t want to read until the end, please don’t take that message from this graphic.
I mostly work with adult and adolescent dogs whose families have reached out to me because of aspects of their behaviour. Much of this behaviour occurs around things, situations, or contexts that they encounter within their day to day life.
It isn’t uncommon for people to explain to me that they went to formal obedience classes with their dog when they were a puppy, which has led to some of the disappointment they feel in not knowing how to approach the behaviour they’re now seeing. Even if these classes are taught using ethical methods, basic formal obedience is something I really would not make your number one priority when teaching a young dog how to handle life around them. If you're in to the dog behaviour lingo, then you can think of this as "operant stuff". This is something I have learnt myself, through time and experience. I do not want to offend any trainers with this post - training can be fun, good for bonding, and mental stimulation! But the truth is, knowing a ‘sit’ doesn’t help when a dog can’t cope with proximity to another dog. Knowing a ‘stay’ does nothing to help a dog who really struggles in busy situations. It is all very human-centred and doesn’t do a great deal for how your dog feels about life around them, or behaves in response to things. Many of my clients, when meeting me for a behaviour appointment, will say to me “I’m really sorry but he doesn’t walk to heel”. I couldn’t give a scooby if your dog isn’t walking to heel, as long as you can manage them and as long as they aren’t distressed (which is a common cause of pulling). I'd rather see a dog feeling confident in exploring the environment towards the end of their lead, and checking in with their guardian.
If you want to do basic obedience then go for it. It shouldn’t be at the expense of…
• Supporting your dog or puppy to feel safe and happy in an environment.
• Supporting your dog or puppy to feel safe and happy in proximity to dogs or people. I see a lot of adolescents that absolutely lose it with frustration at the sight of other dogs, and starting off right in puppyhood can really help.
• Learning about dog body language – this should be absolutely number one for anyone caring for dogs.
• Learning about appropriate sleep, exercise, and mental stimulation (especially for those with puppies).
• Mainly focusing on life skills and not so much arbitrary stuff that really doesn’t make much of a difference when your dog is finding things tough on walks or in general life.
I think there is an exception for things like recall, leaving things when asked, and 'drop', as leaving things or dropping things when asked could mean your dog doesn’t eat something dangerous, and recall is an obvious one.
Training can be great mental stimulation for dogs and can be a fun way to bond, but don’t make it your number one priority if it then means that you ignore the stuff that really effects day to day life and wellbeing.
I have put together an online course for those who want to learn some of the stuff that I consider 'essential' for young dogs. You will have access to this for a year once enrolled, and it is perfect to do alongside anything else you might be attending with your puppy or adolescent.
https://knowyourdog.thinkific.com/courses/puppy-essentials
You can use code DOGDAYS50 for 50% off at the moment.
