Is Your Dog Happy?

You don't have to look hard to find popular "feel good" training methods that tend to please large masses of people. Some owners that are experiencing behavior issues will gravitate towards these ideas that they believe will make their dogs happy. This creates a widespread misinterpretation of what happiness truly looks like in our dogs.

Often times when I am out training a dog in public, I will receive comments such as "poor puppy" or "he just wants to play" when in reality, the dog is calm and just simply "hanging out". Unfortunately, it has become the norm to see dogs amped up, greeting every stranger, disengaged, pulling towards distractions, whining, and never settling. This is usually interpreted as 'happiness". If a dog is calm, ignoring every environmental stimulus, then this is interpreted as "sad". This is simply NOT the case!

Our dogs need to learn when the appropriate time is to do certain activities. There is a time to run, a time for affection, a time for play, a time for food, a time to be calm and a time to work. If we blur the lines, then things turn into chaos. Too many owners fall into the trap of feeling guilty for giving their dogs the structure and discipline they need. If you are not truly happy with your dog's behavior, then it's time to make changes! Your dog will respect and appreciate you more for it. True happiness in our dogs comes from fair and balanced leadership.