Is It Me or The Dog? - The Importance of Owners

A while ago I discussed some of the "ingredients" that go into a dog's personality. Genetics is probably the first and most thought of, but early imprinting and ongoing life lessons also play strong roles. Because owners often have control over imprinting and life lessons, I would argue that an owner is also a key ingredient in the make-up and success of a dog.

As I work with owners and their dogs, I often estimate likely outcomes. Certainly a lot of my impressions are based on unique characteristics of the dog, but I also find that there are indicators that suggest which owners are likely to see better results or outcomes. As I've always said, working with any dog involves teamwork between the dog and its owner(s). Today I thought I'd share what I believe are important owner traits pertaining to successful training.

1) Time: As an owner you control your dog's time. Education, training, and teaching require time. Well trained dogs don't just happen, they are made. Like all good things in life, work is required for desired outcomes. Owners that see best results are those who understand the need to practice training and good behavior daily, and set aside some time every day to do just that.

2) Consistency: Dogs are often smarter than many owners give them credit. Dogs that don't behave as desired, or who aren't obedient, are not typically intellectually challenged - they've just figured out how committed an owner is to following through on desired goals. Saying you expect something from your dog is one thing. Showing your dog what you expect requires consistency at all times. Actions are louder than words to a dog.

3) Persistence: Hand in hand with consistency is persistence. Training takes repetition, work, and not giving up when things don't fall into place after 1 week. Good owners understand that training is a skill, and skills develop over time not overnight. Musicians and athletes spend years honing their skills.

4) Details: Dogs are great observers, and often the devil is in the details. A blog post is no place to explain how to train a dog, but I can tell you that most clients are surprised to learn how important details can be when working with a dog. Working with an experienced trainer can save you a lot of time and money by helping you with those details. Simple things can have strong impacts on outcomes.

5) Know Your Dog: Every dog in a unique individual, and good owners understand and respect the strengths and weaknesses of their own dog(s). Using this knowledge while supervising daily interactions allows owners opportunities to use obedience - to guide their dog(s) in ways that help them progress and succeed.

6) Fair Challenges: The more I work with my own dogs, the more I realize there is always more we can practice and learn together. Training never really ends - it needs to become part of life. Looking for new challenges that build on past achievements keeps things moving forward. Pacing your teaching in a manner that is both fair and challenging can make the journey a lot more interesting, effective, and rewarding.

One of my own teachers said 'Once you have a trained dog you'll never live with an untrained dog again'. That may be true, but trained dogs aren't created by nature or by chance. Trained dogs are created by owners that understand the importance of teaching, who make time and provide resources for that teaching, and who understand they are a key ingredient in the dog-human team.