I've noticed some different ways people handle/train their dogs and thought I would start sharing some of my thoughts on the subject.
First thing is first. The way I work with dogs is not the traditional master role. I don't see my dogs as subservient robots that should sit quietly and await my next command. I view the relationship as more of a knights of the round table. Am I saying that my dogs are equal to me? No not at all. Sure the knights had no one person at the head of the table, but only one of them was King Arthur. A robot has no brains, no heart, and no spirit. Dogs do. Some dogs have more of each than others, but the same is true of people.
Getting back to the round table, everyone had a say in what happened. King Arthur listened to everyone and then made his decision. This is where the respect comes into play. Your dog is intelligent enough to have an input on what goes on, listen to them. There are numerous stories on here of dogs telling their humans that something was wrong, or calling their attention to things. If your dog respects you enough to tell you something is wrong, show them the same respect and listen. That doesn't just go for things being wrong. Once you learn to listen to what your dog is telling you, there is no limit to what they will pass on to you. If you are still learning to listen, then ask questions. I don’t mean to ask other humans. Ask your Dog. They are masters of listening to us and will figure out how to convey what they want to say. Just be respectful and talk to them as if they are the beloved family member you want them to be.
Love is something I should have used another word for, but nothing fits as well. Think of your Dog as a loved one. There is no way in this life or the next I would have gotten away with yelling at my mother to do anything. "Make dinner" would have landed me unconscious in a hospital waking up weeks later just to count my teeth on the table next to the bed. Why then do people feel it is ok to bark similar commands to their dogs? If you're dog is truly a beloved family member than show that love. Ask for things. It’s ok to expect that they listen, but ask. Don't be afraid to say scary words like "please" and "thank you" when talking to your Dog. They will respond just as much as your friends and family would. When one of my dogs and I were at a hotel for a dog show, another dog's people were shocked that I could get my dog to go into the hotel room simply by asking. They would have gladly come in if I asked nicely and invited them, and so too did Shelby.
I don't like training dogs. Training dogs is what leads to robots. I will use Shelby and Story, two Shiloh Shepherds I had as service dogs to demonstrate what I mean so that I hope everyone can see why a dog is a more desirable companion than a robot. When I was first looking into PTSD Service dogs, I went to a group who trained labs and retrievers. They would give these dogs tasks and then train them to do those tasks on command. They would also train them to look for the command. They were trained to execute one command until the next was given. What else in this world does that? Computers do just that. And computers are what run robots. I didn't want a robot. I wanted a team member. Someone who was willing to do what it takes to protect me knowing I would do the same for them. Blocking is a big part of what a PTSD service dog does. They are supposed to create a zone of personal space so that the handler doesn't feel under attack. The robot dogs will stand exactly as trained every single time. I haven't trained either dog to do this. I have taught them what I need. “I need this space. I need all other people to stay out of that space. How can we work together to make this happen?” And from two dogs I got two different answers. Shelby had a close contact move she did. She would keep her bum touching me and watch everything I couldn’t see. She would then alert me to anything she thought required my attention. This was a very good solution to my issue. Story was more mature and carried more of a presence. She would stand away from me slightly and take over entire sections of real estate. I don't know what she would have done if she was challenged because frankly, I never found any one dumb enough to challenge her. But I can safely say that she would never let me down. When they blocked for me, you could see in their eyes that they are on a mission. They want for me to be safe. They had a deep seated love and respect for me, and they were going to do whatever they could think of to get me that safety zone I need. Their spirit had their brain working to achieve what their heart wanted. What am I trying to drive home here? Training is for pets. Family members get taught. Teach your dog things, and you might be surprised what they teach you in return.
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