Patterns Vs. Incidents - a Presidential Concern

Maybe the Bidens ought to give up on having German shepherds in the White House.

No matter where you fall on the political scale, or what you think of the current President or state of affairs, having to banish 2 dogs in the span of less than two years is a sign of a serious problem ('Major' was sent off to live with friends - also for biting - in December 2021; now off goes 'Commander' in November 2023).

The latest report on Commander is that in his two years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he's had at least 11 bites to staff - some serious enough to require medical attention.  Additionally, some sources say there have been many more, unreported/untreated bites from the 2 year old German shepherd.

As a professional dog trainer of over 33 years, I am appalled.

Why was this dog allowed to practice this behavior for so long and so many times?  

I'll tell you why:

When it comes to their dogs, Joe & Jill Biden are no different than many of the pet owners we see at Front Range K9 Academy every week.

They love their dog.  

They are exceptionally busy, and dog training doesn't always come first.  

And most importantly, they are in denial (or those advising them about the dog are).

Look folks, it's not rocket science - sometimes dogs bite.  But when this happens, we have to determine whether we're looking at an isolated incident or at a pattern that reveals the nature of the dog itself.

Sometimes, a dog biting is a one-time thing which can be explained - or maybe even excused - by circumstances.  This is an incident of biting.

It might happen when the dog is injured, startled, feeling threatened, or otherwise not acting in character; and, if it truly is incidental, it's not likely to happen again.

What 'Commander' is doing is not incidental biting.  It has crossed a line.  In fact, it has so far surpassed that line, the line has become a dot in the far, far distance!

I've assessed and worked with hundreds (maybe thousands) of aggressive dogs of all breeds.  Any bite is cause for concern.  Anything beyond 2 bites is cause for major concern.

Now we're getting reports of 11 or more bites from this dog.

This, my friends, is a very clear pattern.  And patterns of behavior are notoriously difficult to extinguish.

And this is where understanding the nature of the dog - its breed, temperament, and history are so important when making the right decisions regarding what comes next.  

And that applies whether we're talking about the President's dog, or your dog.

When owners come in with a dog with bites under its belt - whether it's one bite, or many - we are always cautious.

We'd love to tell you "Yes!  Your dog can be 'fixed' and will never bite again!"  But that would be a lie.  A dog who is willing to bite even once, may be willing to do it again.

And the dog who has gotten well-practiced in the habit or pattern of biting is a truly dangerous animal.

This doesn't mean things are hopeless and you have to send your dog away.  

But it DOES mean you have to become fully accountable and responsible for the actions of your dog - for the rest of its life.

And for the love of Mike, you have to step out of denial, and into reality.  Wishing things would be different does you and your dog NO GOOD.

Life with an aggressive dog is hard.  As humans, we're always hoping to explain away bites - "The child scared him."  "He doesn't like to go to the veterinarian."  "She doesn't like men in hats."  "It was windy that day, and she was upset."

But if your explanations are adding up, as your dog wracks up bite after bite, it's time to step back and take a long hard look at what's going on, and what has to change.

Because, as one of our favorite signs at the training facility says, "If you change nothing, nothing will change."

Jennifer Hime is the Owner & Training Director at Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO.

Perseverance Pays Off

 A few months ago, I posted a Pro Tip about perseverance being so vital in training.

Today's training - out doing Foundation work with demo pup, "Bug" - reminded me of this important concept once again.

Bug is on day 4 of Foundation training. Her first session of this lesson did not go well, in spite of her being a star student with the first 3 days of Foundation work.

On the first session of Day 4, she was chasing the long line, dropping her shoulder and sprinting to the end of the line (and hitting it HARD) regularly, tangling up and protesting - all the things an almost-4-month-old pup will often do, but things THIS pup had not done during the previous training sessions.

I chalked it up to new snow, the new format and slightly more challenging lesson, and just a rotten session. A lot of folks would've spent too much time over-thinking the issue... "Did I do it wrong?" "Should I go back to Day 3 and do more of that lesson?" "Is this training even working?"

But, having done this method of training for nearly 23 years, and having trained thousands of client dogs, as well as 25 of my own dogs in the method, I have the luxury of knowing the difference between a rough session, and a true training problem.

Sure enough, the second session of Day 4 training went MUCH smoother. In fact, Bug surpassed my expectations, trotting along next to me, letting the extra long line drag out away from her for most of the session.

Success on so many levels! Bug grasped the concept that her handler (me) is unpredictable, even when she *thinks* she knows the game we're playing...so her best option is to keep her eyes and ears on me - which is the whole point of Foundation work!

If I had given up, or gone backwards in training, I wouldn't have let Bug learn the lesson in her own time.

Once again, even when a new concept feels too challenging, it's worth it to persevere for a few more sessions, to see if your dog is learning the concepts, in spite of the struggles.

Now, if the second session of Day 4 training had been as bad (or worse) than the first, that would be PATTERN emerging, and I would have needed to re-assess the next steps.

But a single INCIDENT of a bad training session doesn't mean you're doing it wrong, or the dog can't learn, or the training doesn't work. If you begin to see a pattern (multiple bad sessions), then something needs to change, but if it's just one rough session, give the dog a break for a few hours (maybe even a day) and then revisit the session to see if they've learned the new concept.

Very often, they'll surprise you - and ace the lesson on the second attempt. But, if you don't persevere, you'll never know whether you just had a bad session, or if you need to change something in what you're doing!

Jennifer Hime is the owner & Training Director at Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO.

There are no shortcuts in dog training.

I am going to anger, frustrate, or alienate a lot of people with this post.  

Some will be dog trainers.

Some will be dog owners.

Here's the thing:  I don't care.  What I say below needs to be said.

And more importantly, what I say below needs to be heard - by many dog owners, and not a few dog trainers as well.

Ready for it?

Here we go.

"Obedience IS the answer."

The answer to what?

Your dog's anxiety problem.

Your dog's aggression problem.

Your dog's over-excitement problem.

Your dog's fence running/fence fighting problem.

Your dog's leash reactivity problem.

Your dog's vet visit problem.

Your dog's groomer visit problem.

Your dog's toenail cutting problem.

Your dog's humping you, the kids or grandkids, and everything else in sight problem.

Your dog's overly exuberant mouthing, jumping, barking, nipping, dumpster-diving, counter-surfing, or biting problem.

Shall I continue, or do you see the point?

A look at Dog Trainers who don't believe in Obedience.

Let's begin with the dog trainers out there who are eagerly telling owners (while taking their hard-earned money):

"I can fix your dog in 2 to 3 sessions, you don't need obedience."

"I can fix your dog in a 2-week board & train program, you don't need obedience."

"I can fix your dog at a 4 hours workshop or seminar, you don't need obedience."

The funny thing is, whether you're working with a positive-only trainer (rewards only, no corrections), or a balanced trainer (one who will correct a dog for poor behavior, as well as rewarding good behavior) - there are both types of dog trainers out there who will tell you don't need to do any work in training obedience to fix your dog's problems.

That's like saying you don't need to teach a child to count before teaching them addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division!

In the positive-only camp, we have well-meaning trainers (and yes, behaviorists) who tend to focus primarily on the problem behaviors their clients present to them; offering management, desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques, sometimes paired with behavioral medications and lots and lots of treats.  

And their technique for treating your dog's separation anxiety, or fear of having ear or eye drops put in, or having toenails cut, etc. MIGHT just work - for awhile.

Until the next thing happens - some new anxiety or phobia rears its ugly head.  Some other new problem behavior 'mysteriously' appears.

But there is actually no mystery here.  A bunch of cookies, and a few desensitization exercises rarely 'fix' the underlying problem that caused the initial behavior problem to start with.  

So, your dog has now developed another issue...and another, and another...and so it goes, with ever more and more trainer sessions to pay for, and medications to try...and always the next problem is just around the corner for you and your dog.  Pretty nifty set-up for the trainer, though.

In the 'balanced' training approach, there are trainers who are just as bad, but on the other end of the spectrum.  These trainers are also under the gun to 'fix' the issues, and to do so quickly.  Because they use both rewards and corrections, they feel like they have all the answers when reward-only based training has failed.

If they're not laying a strong foundation of obedience with a dog before addressing problem behaviors, the balanced trainers face the same problem the positive-only trainer does:  risking a confused, untrained dog whose next list of problem behaviors is just around the corner.

But, there is a bigger problem than just failed shortcuts here.  In the case of balanced trainers, there is the danger of falling into the trap of applying corrections too early (and yes, sometimes too harshly).

Too often, we see dogs who've come from positive-only trainers who've failed them by not providing the dog the tools to ease their own anxiety or other problems.  

And, we see dogs who've come from balanced trainers who have become more anxious, more aggressive, etc., due to overly-harsh corrections, or simply from rushed training efforts that have also failed them.

This only sets the positive-only Vs. balanced trainer debate more firmly in motion, with one side yelling "You're abusive to dogs!" and the other yelling back, "Your methods don't work!"

Meanwhile, the dogs - and their owners on the sidelines - are the ones left with the short end of the stick.

What about those dog owners?  Don't they hold some responsibility?

Dog Owners who don't understand/believe in the power of obedience.

To answer the above question - yes!  Dog owners also hold some responsibility here.  

They need to understand the power of obedience training, and what it can do for their dogs.

But, it's hard to fault the dog owners out there when some of today's most popular internet dog trainers are telling them they don't need obedience for their dogs.

Plus - Obedience training isn't always sexy.  It takes commitment, patience, and dedication.

Sorry to tell you, dog owners of the world - this is something many of you lack.  

As a trainer of more than 30 years, the number of clients I see today really willing to put in the amount of time, mindfulness, and commitment to training is greatly reduced from when I began training in 1990.

Owners today want shortcuts as much as the trainers want to give the shortcuts to them.

In our fast-paced, instant-gratification world, owners don't want to spend weeks and weeks methodically teaching Fido to heel, sit, stay, lie down, and come.

What those owners (and trainers) fail to realize is that the time and effort it takes to teach some very basic life skills to the dog also builds trust, communication, and a relationship that will last a lifetime.

But too many owners want the magic pill or piece of equipment that will skip the work and "just make him come when called."

"Make her like other dogs."

"Make her be ok when we leave for 8 to 10 hours a day, 5 days a week."

"Make him not pull so hard on the leash...I don't care if he actually heels."

And on and on goes the list of problems - most of which are solved not by shortcuts and pills and equipment, but by taking the time to teach the dog how to live in our complex human world.

What IS Obedience?  And WHY is it the answer?

So, what's the solution?

Well, we've come full circle.  

Earlier in this post, I said trying to solve a dog's problems without obedience training is like trying to teach complex math to a child who hasn't learned to count.

That comparison is spot on.  

Obedience training gives the owner and dog a common language.  This is just like the child we teach the alphabet & number systems to - before we expect them to do math & read!

Obedience training gives dogs a picture of our crazy human world that is reliable and predictable...in turn, making THEM more predictable and reliable.

Obedience training gives the dog a set of skills, that when applied consistently to real life, turns into a set of character traits that any high-functioning being needs to get along well in the world (namely: attentiveness, confidence, patience, self-discipline, predictability, reliability, and dependability).

Who wouldn't want that for their dog?

But, again, obedience training takes time, dedication, and commitment.  It's <gasp!> WORK.

It's way sexier to just slap a few 'quick fixes' on a dog than to put in the time to teach it, guide it through our complex lives, and build a relationship with it.

Hmmm....come to think of it...isn't that why you got a dog in the first place?  To share in a relationship with a completely alien mind?  

So, the next time you read a facebook or instagram post from some celebrity dog trainer telling you that you don't need obedience, give this post some thought.

After all - would you expect your human child to function well if their teachers took extreme shortcuts in their education?

Why would you shortcut your dog?

PLEASE NOTE:  None of this is to say there is no usefulness in many of the techniques and equipment used by our colleagues, both positive-only & balanced.

It IS to say that many times those same problems that prompted the need for their short-lived solutions would have been solved through communication through obedience training, without the need for medications on one end of the spectrum, or extreme techniques on the other.

Jennifer Hime, is the Owner & Training Director of Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO.  She can be reached at k9counselor.com

New Stuff is HARD!

When was the last time you learned something new?

I can remember years ago, learning how to snowboard. It took a few winter seasons and LOTS of falling (more falling down and bruises than I’d like to admit). There were moments when I sat on the mountain, tears streaming down my face (and freezing to my goggles), as I watched others so effortlessly glide down the mountain, that I wanted to give up – throw in the towel and be done with it. I was bruised all over and feeling like I was never going to “get it”.

 

 If I had given up in the beginning, I would have never felt the speed and wind whip by my face as I cruise down Colorado’s beautiful mountain peaks. Learning to snowboard was hard! But it got easier as I developed the muscle coordination, muscle memory, balance, and skills required.

Learning to snowboard required these things:

Determination

Persistence

Motivation

Patience

Consistency

Humility

Commitment

 

Now, at this point, you may be wondering, Meg – what the heck does snowboarding have to do with dog training? Rest assured; I am getting there!

 

Learning new skills is HARD. Dog training is no different. It is a brand-new skill for most people. My job is to teach you these new skills – communication, leash mechanics, etc. and I know it is NOT easy. I challenge you to think back on the last time you learned something new – a new hobby, new language, a skill for your job – why were your successfully able to master your new skill OR why were you not able to master it?

 

Training your dog requires determination, persistence, motivation, patience, consistency, humility & commitment.

 

Determination to stick with it, even when things are hard. Heel not going as well as you thought it was? Is your dog struggling to sit-stay with distractions. Keep at it! If you persevere, both you and your dog will develop the skills! Think about your goals for dog training – especially after a particularly tough walk or not so great training session – use that as motivation. Think about the dog you could have in the future – the dog that you can take out in public, the dog that behaves when guests come over, the dog that has great leash manners.  

Patience is HUGE – be patient with both yourself AND your dog as you are BOTH learners. It takes time to learn new things.

 

Commit to yourself, your dog, and your dog training goals and I PROMISE you will see results and the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

My partner picked up snowboarding much quicker than I did. He watched some YouTube videos and spent two days when he was in high school teaching himself how to ride. 

As with everything in life, humans (and dogs!) learn at different paces. Some will pick up dog training skills relatively easily; for others it will take constant practice and WORK to make progress. I remember feeling jealous of how quickly my partner was able to learn and of how easy he made it look while he was teaching me – the same feeling I would imagine many of you feel when Jordan, Jen or I demonstrate skills with one of our own dogs or work with your dog. Just remember, we too, were once new learners and it took time, patience, consistency, determination, and perseverance to get where we are today. 

And guess what? My learning is not yet over, and neither is yours!

 

You’ve got this! 

Now get out there and train your dog! 

Meghan Poinsett is a Trainer and Canine Behavior Consultant at Front Range K9 Academy.  https://k9counselor.com

We need to DO BETTER!

Welp, it happened…what started as a great trip, full of fun, opportunities to learn more about Nose Work and grow together as a team, has hit a snag. A snag that could have easily been avoided.

Duke & I were walking downstairs and into the lobby of our lodge (where we will be staying for the next couple of days while at camp). He was next to my left side, in the heel position. 

We walked past a pillar and then suddenly, a bark, a growl & a dog was on him. Someone came over to offer assistance. As soon as she helped to get the one dog off, another dog was on him. Not one, but two dogs (breed is not important but they were Border Collies) had attacked him in the middle of a very public space.

Adrenaline does strange things to memories so actual details of the event are still a little hazy. After the other dogs were under control and taken back to their rooms, I checked Duke over. He was covered in other dog spit, but luckily no puncture wounds or visible injuries. I am extremely thankful for the person who came over to assist – she was more worked up than I was. I am also thankful that this attack did not happen to a smaller dog, a dog with thinner fur or an older dog, as I am not sure what the outcome would have been.

The owner of the dogs came back out and one of the first things she asked was NOT:  “Is your dog okay?” – if that is what you are thinking…  No, she asked first: “Is your dog intact?”

Like that was the excuse she had been hoping to hear as to why BOTH her dogs attacked another dog (who was minding his own damn business walking with his mama…). She also didn’t even realize that her second dog had entered the fray…c’mon…. Apparently, she had clipped her leash to the collar tag ring and when her dog lunged it snapped. Not sure how the second dog got loose…

This is also not just me and my dog. I’ve seen countless social media posts sharing similar stories. 

Just the other day someone on a AKC Rally Obedience group posted about dog-dog aggression during trials and competitions. How many dogs are attacked by other dogs at conformation shows, agility trials, obedience trials? Many responded to the post commenting about dogs attacking other dogs during obedience group stays and that the AKC needs to change this in competitions and do away with it. 

HOW ABOUT TRAIN YOUR DOG and have the expectation that your dog behaves in public if you are going to compete, trial, or take your dog outside of your home?!

Let me repeat that one more time – let’s train our dogs and have the expectation that the dog behaves out in public. 

If you are unwilling to, or simply cannot, consult with a trainer who will use a balanced approach, as you cannot toss cookies at aggression and expect it to go away. OR keep your dog at home. 

It is ridiculous that I cannot take my dogs out into public without fear that we will be attacked. This incident did not result in any lasting physical trauma, but the next one might. While there may not have been any physical trauma, mental and emotional trauma will be there. My generally happy-go-lucky guy has been nervous and jumpy around other dogs since the incident, so we will have to put in some work around other dogs, especially those resembling Border Collies.

WE NEED TO DO BETTER - somewhere we as a culture have completely lowered our standards and expectations of our dog’s behavior, however, at the same time, we have also increased our expectations of incorporating them into our everyday lives – taking them with us on errands, to the work place, hiking, etc. Those two things don’t mix well. 

We are more permissive and are allowing RUDE, PUSHY, DEMANDING, and AGGRESSIVE behaviors. We have also decided that tools (prong collars, chain collars, electronic collars) are the problem, when the real problem is the above thinking – I won’t even get into the thinking that aggressive behaviors (resource guarding, handler redirection, small dogs growling, barking & lunging at big dogs) are cute and we need to post them on social media trends (cue *eye roll*) in this post – allowing our dogs to behave like a$$holes in public because we are too scared to tell them no.

You betchya that both my dogs are behaved out in public and I hold very high expectations for their behavior. If I think my dog will be unable to handle an outing, I don’t bring them – “gasp!”

That is why my shepherd remained at home this week as I knew all the dogs, people, new environment and managing of both dogs would be too much for her and me to successfully handle. 

On our trip Duke is waiting for permission to enter and exit our room, exit the car, walking in heel through the hotel and up stairs, remaining calm and quiet in his kennel – and guess what, we are still having FUN and our relationship remains great, even if I must remind him of the expectations! He has furniture privileges, sharing of my meals, and all the snuggles he could want. He is also prancing around working for his meals like nobody’s business.

How about giving firm & FAIR consequences for behavior choices a try and see where it gets you? Who knows?  Opportunities just may open up for you and your dog in a way that they have not before. 

 

Meghan Poinsett is a Trainer and Canine Behavior Consultant at Front Range K9 Academy.  https://k9counselor.com

 

Who Cares About Titles?

 This week on "What goes on in the dog trainer's head..."

Who Cares About Titles?

Do you care if your dog has any 'dog sport' titles?  

Obedience?  Rally?  Conformation?  Lure Coursing?  Agility?  Scent Tracking?  Dock Diving?  Barn Hunting?  Field Trials?  Herding?  Earthdog?

How about an AKC Canine Good Citizen title?  (Which, by the way, is now available for training and testing for at Front Range K9, with trainer Meg Poinsett.)

In spite of all the possible dog sports and titles available to both mixed breed & purebred dogs, I've found that most dog owners have little interest in titling their dogs.  

And you know what?  That is OK!  

While we're always happy to help our clients who are interested in taking their dog ownership to the next level, we also know that the time and money (sometimes lots of time & money!) it takes to travel to dog shows and other events are not everyone's cup of tea. 

But What About Trainers with Titles on Their Dogs?

Ok, so maybe you don't care if your own dog wins any ribbons or trophies or titles...but do you care if your Dog Trainer has titles on his or her dogs?

You should.

Why? Well, for several reasons:

1.  Trainers who title their dogs have shown an ability to train a dog to a certain level of proficiency.  

Did you know?  There is no single certifying or governing body over the dog training industry.  Anyone can hang out a sign, and call themselves a professional dog trainer.

Because of this lack of industry metrics, its impossible to know if your trainer can train to a non-subjective, measurable standard.

Unless...

They can take their dogs through the necessary training to compete for - and earn - titles.  

Titles say that a trainer has put in the necessary hours, research, training time, and effort to reach a definable objective with their dog.

Titles say they have set a goal and reached it.

Wouldn't you want that person on your side in your dog training experience?

2.  Titles say your dog trainer really IS 'the crazy dog lady' or 'crazy dog guy'.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record - titling a dog in most sports takes a lot of time.  And effort.  And often a lot money - in the form of entry fees, travel expenses, and even training resources - like classes with other trainers and experts in various fields of canine behavior.

All of this time and effort and money adds up to one thing:  Dedication.  

People who compete in dog sports are used to getting up at the crack of dawn, schlepping crates and leashes and bowls and other equipment many miles to their destinations...spending hours waiting for their 30 seconds to 10 minutes or so of actual competition time, and then schlepping home - hopefully with a few ribbons and points earned towards their next goal.

They meet others who are just as dog-crazy as they are along the way, and develop friendships and relationships that span decades - often working with each other to hone specific training skills, or problem-solve through issues to get over hurdles on their own dogs' training journeys.

They spend countless hours in continuing education seminars, talking to other trainers online and in person, always seeking a better way to train - a way to better, happier, more balanced dogs.

Again, I ask:  Wouldn't you want THIS trainer on your side for your own dog training journey?

So, even if you're not necessarily into the whole 'competition' thing for your own pooch, I believe it is wise to consider carefully whether the trainer(s) you work with have some sort of titles to back up their own body of work with dogs.

All that 'alphabet soup' of letters before and after a dog's name actually means something!

Jennifer Hime is the Owner & Training Director of Front Range K9 Academy. She can be reached at k9counselor.com

Don't be a Doggy Nihilist

This week on ‘What goes on in the dog trainer’s head’: 

What is the best formula to create a really, really, REALLY bad dog?

What a strange question!

Why would any dog owner want to create a really, really, REALLY bad dog?

I’m being sarcastic, of course.  No owner wants a bad dog...but so many of you out there have absolutely perfected the formula to create one.

And when a dog trainer gives you the counter-formula to undo the damage you’ve done, you push back  - sputtering excuses, professing hurt feelings, saying you don't have time to put in the work, or questioning the very advice & answers that would help you and your dog…

...All because you don’t like what we're telling you.

Sound harsh?

Well, let’s take a look at reality.

Here are some actual quotes from Dog Trainers’ notes, after their first training session/evaluation with real owners - owners who report desperately wanting to improve their dogs' behavior:

“…this dog has not been given any boundaries, and walks all over his people - demanding attention, jumping up, counter surfing, etc.”
“This dog NEEDS more training, firm boundaries, and leadership… “
“This dog has WAY too much freedom.” 
“Very little boundaries or expectations for this pup.”
“This dog does not seem to have a whole lot of boundaries at home and owner seems to be very inconsistent.”
“[Dog] is very pushy and aggressive towards other dogs, especially on leash; has little to no boundaries right now…”
“He is a very smart cookie, but needs firm boundaries.”
“She needs some very clear boundaries…”
“…this dog needs clear leadership and boundaries…” 
“It is clear this boy has had no boundaries/rules for his 2 years of life.”

I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  And I’m sure you notice the pattern.

The Perfect Formula for creating a neurotic, or reactive, or aggressive, or generally pushy, unruly & unbalanced (or all of the above) dog is…

An utter lack of consistent, clear rules, boundaries, and leadership from YOU.

Dear dog owners – you can’t have it both ways. 

You can’t have a dog with no boundaries or rules, who is ALSO well behaved.

You can’t have a dog who bolts through doors, steals food from the counters, snacks out of the litterbox, jumps on you and your guests, guards his bedding (or yours!), pulls on the leash, steals your socks, destroys your couches, or rugs, or other valuables, and completely ignores you and everything you say - and then expect that same dog to behave beautifully out in public, or when visitors arrive.

Dogs NEED rules and boundaries to be mentally sound and stable.  Even more, they need rules to fully enjoy their lives with us.

There seems to be a great deal of discomfort and denial for dog owners regarding this simple truth.

Time and time again, we have clients come to us seeking help, but when we tell them that they need to give their dogs boundaries, they resist mightily.

Don't believe me?  Here are a few more actual quotes from owners:

"I don't actually care if he's perfect on the leash.  I just want him to stop lunging at other dogs."  

"I can't live with my dog the way you trainers live with yours.  It seems so strict.  I actually like that he barks at people.  It means he'll protect me.  I just don't want him to bark at everyone." 

"But [biting dog's name] is our baby.  We can't kick him off the bed!" <~~~ from an owner whose husband is now sleeping on the couch because the dog won't allow him in the bed with her.  I can't make this stuff up.

"I don't see how teaching him to behave in the house is going to help him out on walks."

These are the same owners who don't see the connection between the dog who who jumps up on them, demanding attention whenever it wants (attention the owners then unfailingly deliver), and the dog who has such extreme separation anxiety it has to be heavily medicated when they leave the house for even a few minutes.

Or the connection between the dog who ignores them completely at home when they tell it to stop jumping up, barking, counter surfing, dumpster diving, and doing whatever else it pleases... and the same dog who also doesn't listen - pulling, barking, and lunging aggressively at everyone they see on a walk.

When did having and following consistent rules become such a bad thing?  Isn't your own life full of rules that keep things running smoothly?  

Think of how many times a day we all follow simple traffic rules - and imagine the chaos if we didn't!

The reality of life is that rules are a vital part of the game.  From driving, to getting in line and ordering your morning coffee at Starbuck's - you know the rules and you follow them, and for the most part, you don't even notice or think about them! 

But when it comes to giving their dogs similar, simple rules, too many owners seem to think it's the cruelest form of punishment.

If you have no basic rules...if you allow your dog to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants...then you cannot expect the same dog to know how to behave when things get interesting, exciting, scary, or new!

The dog who knows the rules also earns the privileges of being in our company more.  

The dog who doesn't know or have rules is the dog who has to be locked away when guests come to visit, never knows the joy of a safe off-leash romp, gets left behind when the family goes on a hike, or is simply being scolded all the time for just being a dog in a human world.

Quite frankly, you owe it to your dog to at least teach them the rules of how to play the game of life in our confusing, inconsistent world.  

Otherwise, you are setting yourself and your dog up for a lot of failure, confusion, and disappointment.

So, before you immediately protest when a dog trainer suggests you implement some simple rules like not allowing the dog to bolt through doors, or lead you on walks, or having some structure around affection, play and eating routines - think about why they are suggesting these rules, and what benefits you and your dog might reap if you tried them.

Jennifer Hime is the Owner & Training Director of Front Range K9 Academy. She can be reached at k9counselor.com