Training is not a Magic Wand

The role of training… there is no magic wand!

Something that I tell all of my clients is that their dog will always be who she is and we’re going to help her become the best possible version of that but the dog is NEVER going to be a ‘completely different dog’. That’s impossible and never the goal because every dog is born with their own personality, likes and dislikes and they are all unique and wonderful individuals!

So, For example, although we can teach a dog reactive dog to be polite and coexist in the presence of other dogs UNDER HUMAN SUPERVISION AND LEADERSHIP (you can’t be complacent nor careless with serious and dangerous dogs, not even after training!), what we can’t do is magically make the reactive dog love being pressured or harassed or have their personal space invaded by every dog that crosses her path.

Through training, we are striving to build in impulse control, respect for the handler’s leadership/instructions and a few seconds of grace period in hairy situations to allow the human handler to take control of the situation and give the dog instructions while neutralizing potential conflict. THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A LEADER!

Training does NOT entitle the human to be complacent and irresponsible and carelessly leave it up to the dog to handle a situation on her own… she will never be ‘a completely different dog’ and given the opportunity by a complacent human the dog will most certainly revert backwards into her former bad behaviours. This is why training, accountability, boundaries, rules, and structure must be a way of life in which we consistently hold our dog (and ourselves!) accountable for her new and improved skills and mindset, always apply our safety tools and protocols while simultaneously continuing to correct pesky old bad habits and refusing to enable her old bad behaviours and mindsets to come back. ❤️