We often get questions such as, "Should I not let my dog sleep on my bed?" "Should my dog walk next to me on the left side?" "Is it OK if my dog gets on the couch?" Our answer to these questions, most of the time is, "It is your dog, what do YOU want?" Sometimes there are behavioral reasons why we don’t want dogs on furniture, but typically we are here to help you train your dog to your goals, not ours. Of course we are going to make recommendations and give you the rationale for our thinking. There are behaviors we think most dogs should learn that are helpful in everyday life. We cover those in our Canine Basics Class.
Generally, we are also not concerned about the words you use for cues, and if we are, we will tell you why. We are here to help you communicate with your dog in a clear and consistent way so the result is a well-trained dog. Of course, if we see something we think is important, from a canine behavior consultant perspective, we will bring that concern to your attention. Our goal is to help you and your dog understand one another better. Your goals are our goals.
What are your training goals for next year?
Oh, and for the record, our dogs sleep in our bed if they want to and lay with us comfortably on the couch just as the dogs in the picture are.
Happy New Year!
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