Positive action, not evasive action helps our dogs

When out walking with my dog (Ziggy), I meet many people with their dogs. I am struck by how many of these dogs display some type of behavioural issue, or other. Many of these owners are not, really, helping their dogs overcome their problems.

Most of these owners, clearly, love and care for their dogs. However, unfortunately, they are, often, accommodating difficult behaviours, rather than helping their dogs to overcome them.

One of my pet hates is the extending lead. This is used, inappropriately, in many of the cases I see, that clearly need some positive behavioural assistance. For instance, dogs that can be a little grumpy, occasionally, with other dogs, are kept, permanently on these extending leads, whenever they are in the vicinity, however, remote of ‘strange’ dogs. The same is done to dogs that are nervous, labelled by their owners as ‘frightened of other dogs.’

By adopting the approach of keeping our dogs away from anything that, we think, may be a problem is not helping them, rather, it is serving to reinforce their behavioural issues and responses.

Although I have only described a couple, common, issues I see every day, there are, of course, many more.

The main point here is, that by simply accepting a dogs’ odd behaviour and then accommodating it, is not the answer. Rarely, are issues solved by, simply keeping away from them. If you cannot work out the problem yourself, you should seek some ‘professional’ advice. By taking positive action, you, just might be able to improve the quality of your dogs (and maybe, yours) life.