How Perfect Pooches become Complicated Canines

Dogs aren’t born complicated, no puppy is born with behavioural issues.

Environment, education (or lack of) and genetics have a huge play in how dogs turn out.

It’s very personal what we see as good or bad behaviour, and we are also taught by experience what we see as bad behaviour.

A good example is my own choices in dogs, I see a barking and growling dog, as potential. They aren’t dangerous, they are a riddle to be solved. Where as others would label them as aggresive or out of control, to me they just lack guidance and could be excellent dogs in the right situation by.

Another example would be a Labrador stealing socks. To you it’s a nusisance and annoying. You hide the socks, and the dog still finds them. It’s frustrating. But actually all it is is breed traits appearing with no outlet, teaching a dog a game to have an outlet for that behaviour solves the “annoying” behaviour.

Complicated canines are born usually for a lack of understanding. Placing a guardian breed in a home not equipped to offer that dog the boudaries and training needed. Understand the need to guard is there and often you squashing it down isn’t going to solve it.

Understanding that a hunting breed is going to have poor recall unless you put a huge amount of foundations into the dog while young. It’s also totally solvable as an adult but it takes more time, and more consistency to change those habits.

A lack of education for dogs is a huge reason dogs can redirect on to their owners, or feel the need to guard objects away from owners. Remember dogs don’t speak English and as much as we try, they never will. They only understand what is rewarded, ignored and punished in life. If you are inconsistent in your behaviour then the dog will be unable to know how it gains reward, or avoids punishment. So they take matters into their own hands to gain control.

Sometimes I think it should be called confused canines, not complicated. As really there are no complicated dogs. Only confused dogs trying to make sense of a world they have no control over. They can’t decide when to pee, or when to go out. They can’t decide where to go, they have to put all their choices in our hands. We as humans are crap at making choices.

Understanding your dog’s breed is a huge start to unraveling a complicated dog. As generally this is the start of the dog training issues.

Next is having clear expectations of your dog, and the goals you want to achieve. Starting with a puppy basically means the possibilities are endless, but as the dogs get older and less spongy the work becomes harder. Some dogs become unable to integrated back into a perfect world, and training alongside management means the dog can lead an amazing life.

Education of you the owner is also needed. How can you drive a car without understanding how the key works in the ignition. So the same applies to your dog, how can you train your dog if you don’t have the understanding?

Perfect pooches can become complicated canines as our training slips, as life changes and effects our dogs. That lack of control of their life, especially during changes in the home life or routine, can easily effect a dog’s behaviour which in turn breeds behavioural issues in the long term. Small issues become big things over time, and what started as a little ignorance on recall can turn into a dog legging it off and fighting other dogs. Esculation is easy when you don’t have control.

Understanding comes from hundreds of sources. Google, social media, classes, demos, books, trainers and much more. Each has its own place, but to become an expert in your own dog you need some help to understand them.

Dogs don’t have to be a certain label forever. Aggressive isn’t a life long curse, just as out of control isn’t a forever issue. You can change your complicated canine into a calm canine, or a perfect pooch with training, time and consistency.