SPOILED TRUST FUND KID SYNDROME
By Maggi Forootan – Lead and Love K9
One thing that a lot of my clients complain about is that their dog doesn’t listen to them, doesn’t come when called, and basically blows them off whenever they feel like it. Even people who have invested the time and energy into their dogs training often have this problem. Their dog knows all of the commands…sit, down, come, etc…as long as a cookie is involved. But take the cookie out of the equation, and it’s a whole different story…the dog is like “meh…I don’t feel like coming right now…I’ll get back to you on that.”
Why is this? Don’t our dogs want to please us? That’s a concept that people often throw around too. “He just wants to please!” Whenever I hear this I think “yes, he does want to please…himself!”
To better understand why this dynamic might be happening between dogs and their owners let’s take a peek into what daily life looks like for many pet dogs:
All day, every day, more than enough high quality, expensive food magically appears in a dish. With just a little pestering treats are handed out from the human Pez dispensers. Toys and chews are scattered throughout the house and yard, and when they get boring new ones constantly appear. Cushy $200 dog beds adorn every room, and praise, affection, love and belly rubs are never ending.
Is it any wonder that these dogs ignore their owners? Everything in life is free! Just like a spoiled trust-fund kid that knows that they never really have to work hard for anything in life, dogs gamble that blowing off their owners request is a safe bet.
Here’s another way to look at this: Imagine that your paycheck automatically showed up in your bank account every month whether you went to work and did your job or not. How motivated would you be to go to work and do a good job if all you had to do was sit on the couch eating Doritos, drinking beer, and playing video games?
One of the keys to success in dog training is motivation. To get a high level of success with your dog’s training, he must be motivated. When everything of value to your dog is free, there is a profound lack of motivation going on, and you, and your dog will struggle.
The good news is that by asking your dog to work for the things that he values, you gain the opportunity to create an awesome relationship with him. In fact I will go so far as to say that unless you ask your dog to work for you, you really have no meaningful relationship with him! Does it feel like you and your dog are just existing together rather than connecting? Does he look to you for guidance?
It’s not that hard to shift this dynamic. Have your dog run through a few obedience drills for his daily meals. Take 10 or 15 minutes to engage in a structured game of tug or fetch. Cut back a little on the freebies, and watch as your dog becomes more respectful and engaged.
No one likes a spoiled human, and no one wants a spoiled dog!
