So, you are at your wit’s end with your dog's behavior and you have decided to hire a trainer. You’ve scheduled a session, you've straightened up your house, and you
are ready for this professional to come in and see the hair-wringing frustration that you've been dealing with on a daily basis. You’re
hoping this person can save the day with a myriad of tips and techniques. Then,
something miraculous happens. The trainer shows up and your dog behaves like an
angel. Now you are left
only explaining your dog’s incessant chewing, leash pulling, etc. Why
does this happen?
Does the trainer have some
sort of magical mojo that soothes dogs? Possibly. More likely however, your dog
is responding to your new frame of mind. When the trainer arrives, you are
envisioning a fresh start. You may be imagining having all the answers in an
hour or so. You are probably excited and hopeful that today everything will
start to change.
It’s true that your dog may
respond better to someone else because he knows you so well. He knows how far
to push you and he knows that the tenth time he jumps on the couch, you’ll cave
in and let him sit down. Dogs are also very sensitive
creatures, though. Thousands of years of surviving on the whims of humans have
led them to be in touch with our emotional states. This is why your state of
mind is so important when training your pup. Cultivating a fresh start is a
great way to add some oomph to adjusting your dog’s behavior. When you find
yourself getting overwhelmed or frustrated, take some time off and start again
the next day in a new frame of mind. Tell yourself that tomorrow will be
different and you’ll begin to feel stronger and calmer. Add in a different tool like
a new collar or leash. Take your pup on a different route for your morning
walk. Take that walk before instead of after breakfast. Little changes here and
there can rejuvenate your training. If you feel consistently overwhelmed or if
you are dealing with dangerous behavior, definitely hire a trainer. For the
smaller and peskier issues though, sometimes all you need is a new beginning
for you and your favorite furball to create progress.
