WHAT IS DOG TRAINING…REALLY?
By Maggi Forootan – Lead and Love K9
www.leadandlovek9.com
Years ago I enrolled my Doberman, Vegas, in a dog training boot camp. Vegas went to live with his trainer for about 4 weeks at a kennel where he learned a very traditional type of training based on competition obedience commands: Sit, down, stay, come, heel, etc. At the time, I was very pleased with the results. My dog’s obedience was darn near perfect. He was also lightning fast when I was working him through his commands.
Many years later, after I started studying to become a dog trainer myself, I realized that something about my dog wasn’t right. Something was missing. While Vegas could practically jump through hoops of fire on command, our day in day out life together was frustrating. Vegas was on constant alert…yes, I know some of this behavior can be genetically specific for the breed…jumping at every opportunity to react to something outside, real or imagined. I found myself constantly yelling NO every time he would jump off of his bed and race out the back door to patrol the fence line, barking like a maniac. What I didn’t realize at the time was that Vegas was a nervous wreck. My well-meaning trainer had done a wonderful job teaching Vegas a bunch of commands, but she had left out the most important parts of the equation: State Of Mind and relationship.
While I do believe that the obedience commands are important in dog training, I now see them as more of a gateway to addressing the dog’s state of mind, and strengthening his relationship with his owner, than evidence that the dog is trained.
State of Mind dog training is always reaching for calmness, and connection with the owner. Dogs that are anxious, nervous, or overly excited lack the ability to think clearly, learn, and make good choices. It’s also important to mention that dogs living in this overly adrenalized state of mind have a low threshold for stress tolerance, and are far more likely to become aggressive at the drop of a hat when something pushes them over the edge.
The Lead and Love K9 system of dog training isn’t about whether or not your dog can sit for a cookie. It’s about how well you’re living with your dog on a day in, day out basis. It’s about including your dog in as many aspects of your life as possible because it’s fun to do so. It’s the whole enchilada… body, mind, and spirit…not just performance.
Start taking the time to observe your dog’s state of mind. What seems to be his default energy? Is he in constant motion…reacting to every little sound, pacing, following you around from room to room, not being able to stay in one place for more than a few minutes unless he’s sleeping at night? If this is the case, it might be time to help him find a more balanced mental state so he can regain his natural calm, observant, tuned in way of being.
Once a dog’s emotional and mental state is back to a healthy place most behavior issues simply fade away. And that my friend is the magic of State of Mind dog training!
