Lifestyle Effort with Dogs

Some years ago I wrote an article about the power of persistence. It didn't get much traffic, and has since been removed. But today, I wanted to revisit the general principle that "things of value take work".

As I visit clients, I see dogs needing owner effort in 3 distinct areas - leadership, obedience, and supervision. While everyone likes things that are easy, dogs don't all come into our lives being perfect. Since work doesn't sound like much fun to many owners, I always coach clients on building healthy lifestyles with their dogs. When a healthy lifestyle becomes routine, everything becomes easier (and a dog still gets the help it needs).

An owner's "lifestyle effort" may vary depending on a dog's behavior(s), a dog's age, and/or an owner's expectations. Examples? Young puppies require tremendous supervision but can't grasp much in the realm of obedience. Owners wanting strong obedience will need to spend regular time in that area, to help a dog learn and maintain skills. Easy-going dogs may live just fine in a home, needing only minimal instruction on basic rules. And dogs with significant behavioral issues (biters and fighters, etc.) generally require significant efforts in leadership, obedience and supervision throughout their life.

So what's my point? Actually, I will offer two. First, dogs don't get better without the help of their owners. Yes, we live in a world where many things are just a "click or call" away. But if owners want to help their dog be its best, or just be better, it won't happen without an owner's participation. This takes time and effort.

Second, while all dogs benefit from more effort vs less effort, owners will be best served focusing on the areas that will yield the best payback. Good trainers live "hands-on" with leadership, obedience, and supervision - all day, every day. If an adviser isn't well versed in ALL of these areas, you may not see the progress you need or want. Good trainers can help owners formulate a plan that will maximize their "lifestyle effort".