He Wants to Work for You

The way to a working dog’s heart truly is through WORK! Most folks try to ‘make friends’ with a dog by through pets, food bribes, baby talk/high pitches voices, etc. And while this may tickle the interest of some lower key pups, it certainly isn’t a good approach for others. Bandit is one of those dogs. What a working dog respects and wants to follow... what he LOVES... is to be worked and directed by a firm and consistent handler. In the past when folks have taken the cutesy approach by trying to be his ‘friend’ instead of his ‘boss’, that softness and lack of leadership has created the dangerous opportunity for him to behave very poorly by growling at and threatening them. In this video, you’ll see Michelle taking Bandit out for a potty break and you’ll notice that she stays firmly in control by giving him the structure of being in command and also correcting all moments of mental arousal (we have some folks arriving at one point that perk Bandit’s interest). She doesn’t try to befriend him through pets, food bribes and undeserved praise, but rather she gives him clear and consistent leadership. Bandit absolutely adores Michelle because she tells him what to do, corrects him when he makes a poor choice, and guides him into good choices. This style of proactive leadership creates clear and consistent expectations that makes it easy for the dog to behave politely and calmly and to be the best version of himself.