Stick to the deal and dog will be fine
WHEN I first took my new dog Del home she was very quiet.
She did what I asked her without complaint or refusal.
She was in fact the ‘perfect’ dog but I have been down this road many times before and know how it works.
I was being suckered in so Del could assess my leadership.
When I was transferred from a small school in Denton to a big city centre school in Manchester that is what I did.
I sat in class very quiet assessing the teachers.
I very soon discovered the ones with whom I could take liberties and those that I could not.
Dogs are exactly the same, it is normal pack behaviour.
They will test you to see just how good your leadership credentials are and if you mean what you say or just blowing hot air.
Now, Del arrived as the perfect lady, well not any more.
Today she is a lot more strong-minded than she looked and we have a had a few disagreements where I have had to let her know what is and is not acceptable.
A big male dog might challenge you at this point but Del is not one of those and soon accepted her place in the pack.
Her reward for this is we live together in perfect harmony.
She lets me know if I am failing her (usually by not taking her out for long enough) I adjust and meet her expectations, she meets mine and all works well.
Living with a dog is a two-way contract where the needs of both parties must be met.
Skipping a training session with Del would not work she needs to work every single day just as I need to have peace and quiet in my home.
It works well for us but we are both seasoned campaigners…we know how the ‘contract’ works.
There are no excuses for either of us not to meet our commitments.
Del goes out minimum two hours a day EVERY day and she helps me deal with ‘difficult’ dogs…that’s the deal.
You can join one of my classes by texting Vic at 075905 60012