31/12/2023
Yep!!!! And then I see my own dogs around other dogs in the wild and realize that giving them choice and freedom has in fact helped them become more stable, resilient, and able to make lovely choices even when faced with very challenging and stressful situations.
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I am usually a trainer that sees very difficult cases and most of the time, the biggest challenge isn’t the dog, but the training the dog has received prior to coming to me.
It’s not about a dog’s level of obedience. It’s about a dog’s ability to function and choose in a world and culture that puts a dog’s level of obedience above their overall wellbeing. A down-stay will never resolve aggression or resource guarding but teaching a dog that moving away works AND that the dog has the choice to move away ACTUALLY WILL resolve aggression. In order to do that, you have to teach a dog that:
1) they have a choice
2) moving Away works
3) and it works just as well if not better than choosing to escalate into aggression.
Behavior serves a function.
The goal should be to set both the human and the dog up for success so that both can be safe and well.
Regardless of the case or the dog or the level of severity of the case, I can assure you that the issue is never about the level of obedience.
