![]() We let them roam rule-free in the house, allow them free reign over our personal space, let them on our furniture with or without invitation, and provide attention and affection at their beck and call regardless of their behavior. In reality, the danger that holding on to your dog’s history brings is that it makes people tip-toe around the dog in terms of boundaries and accountability. (You can read more about how so many dogs end up in shelters in my article, The Real Dangers of Backyard Breeding.)īut the thing is, this only feels like kindness. I think it’s an incredible thing to do for animals and for your community. And, hey, I’m one of those people myself. People that take in dogs through a rescue or shelter often do so because they see no reason that so many pets should die without a home. The things is, people do this out of kindness, or at least what feels like kindness in the moment. We latch on to their origin story, the how-they-got-here, and through our actions we decide with utter resolve that their story must end there. And many dog owners also resist a lot of dog training methods and necessary scenarios that could truly help their dog for fear of putting their dog in any sort of stress or uncomfortable situations. Many dog owners are ready to give up entirely because their dog has seen a couple trainers who weren’t fully equipped to handle behavior modification or rehabilitation. And dogs that are labeled by their history are being kept from growing and changing by these limiting beliefs we put on them as dog owners. It’s true that many dogs come from awful situations that I wouldn’t wish on any animal.īut the truth is, even if a dog did in fact come from an awful place before, dogs that have found a good home with their new adopters are simply not in that situation anymore. Now, by no means do I intend this article to serve as some form of invalidation to the very real existence of animal abuse. Some of these claims might be verified by the shelter or rescue organization or the dog’s last owner, but sometimes they really are simply guesses entirely. “My dog came from a hoarding situation or a puppy mill.”Īnd I can’t tell you how many “bait dogs” I’ve met. “My dog was attacked by four other dogs before I got them.” ![]() ![]() This habit is hyper-fixating on the dog’s history. This habit, which creates a massive block to the dog training process, ensures that dogs do not achieve their best life through training. And I love changing the lives of their owners and watching them, too, unlock all the world has to offer with their dogs.īut there’s a particular habit in dog owners that I witness on a regular basis, not just from clients but from friends and strangers alike. I love meeting a dog that struggles with severe behavioral issues – the dogs that most other trainers won’t touch – and helping them turn around into a dog who is safe, secure, and ready to experience all the world has to offer. It’s no wonder that I ended up working in behavior modification and rehabilitation for dogs. If I’ve already lost you by tapping into my nostalgia for stories beloved by children during my 90’s and early-2000s childhood, you’ll have to trust me that between the ages of 5 and 12, no character could win me over like a villain-turned-hero. Even growing up, tiny me adored characters that started out as rivals or villains and came around with a slow burn that reeled you in over the course of a series or movie.
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