Accountability

Accountability.  Meeting or exceeding expectations.  Reliable. Approachable. Good listener.  These are words or phrases that I, and probably many of you, like to hear in reference to ourselves.  But I hear dog owners use those same words with reference to their canine companions.  He isn't what I thought he'd be.  I am disappointed with his unreliable recall. When people approach him he barks and jumps up.  When I say stay, he just walks away and doesn't listen to me.  But, see, here's the thing.  WE need to hold ourselves responsible and accountable first.  Did you research this breed?  Did you ask questions of the foster?  Did you work on recall before letting the dog off leash?  Did you teach your dog the consequences for NOT coming, NOT quieting when asked, etc.? If not, then it isn't your dog who isn't meeting expectations, it's you.

I always have loved the fact that Karen Pryor titled one of her books, "Don't Shoot the Dog." Seriously. It's not just his fault.  Accountability.  Understanding how dogs think and behave in a general sense is good, but learning how YOUR dog thinks is even more important.  Be a good observer and watch your dog.  Some dogs need you to stay right with them when they are working. Others want some space.  Some need to understand "NO!" just as much, if not more so than "YES!" Consequences are important for all of us and that includes your dog.  Don't be afraid to admonish bad or inappropriate behavior.  Ignoring the barking or jumping won't make it go away, that's for sure.

Lots of talk out there about how you should  never punish your kids or your dogs.  Lots of different definitions of punishment too.  A time out is punishment. Snappy-traps on the counter to stop counter surfing is punishment.  Taking away your kid's car keys/video game time/etc. are all forms of punishment.  I realize that just talking about punishment makes some people very uncomfortable.  That's a good thing though. It means it's time to talk about these topics and explore our discomfort.  Our dogs, and our kids, really need us to be reliable, accountable, guardians.  Dishing out consequences doesn't make you a bad parent or a bad dog owner.

As always, if you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  Progress is made with these kinds of hard conversations.

Ozzie demonstrating good listening off leash.