Do you have trouble with your dog´s behavior ?
Is he barking like mad?
Does he attack other dogs?
Is he pulling on the lead and you can´t let him off?
Is he anxious?
Aggressive?
Begging or stealing food from the table?
Addicted to one person or another animal?
Or he can’t be left alone without getting into trouble with the neighbors when you return or even having to refurbish your entire apartment?
Well, then the „anti-naughty-dog-pill“ would be just the thing for you, right ?
If I would offer you this pill for an affordable price, with absolutely no negative side-effects and a 95% guarantee that most your dog problems and stressful situations will just disappear, would you buy it ?
I would !
And i guess you would, too.
Because most of the situations and behavioral expressions listed above mean stress, confusion or frustration for your dog.
Well, that thing with the pill is not happening, is it ?
There is no such thing as a „anti-naughty-dog-pill“ – at least not as far as I know.
And do you know why not?
Because the behavior of your dog is not an illness. Nothing, that can be cured with a pill.
Most of it is a misunderstanding in communication and the lack of education.
Even for almost every traumatized dog.
Sounds to easy to be true ?
Well…yes, it is kind of easy – but it might be a longer process.
And yes, it´s true – but you have to be ready to show commitment.
And yes, it is possible for almost every dog and affordable for almost every dog owner – but nevertheless most affected dog owners prefer to let themselves, their family and their dog suffer a little more in the hope that the problem will eventually resolve itself, all alone in thin air.
Kind of sad, right?
Everything that stands between a human-dog-nightmare-relationship and a human-dog-dream-relationship is a single decision.
The decision to finally tackle the problem – now.
Can't you actually buy dog happiness and harmony ?
Not directly – but actually somehow you can.
Just add up how much money you, as a dog owner, spend each year to keep your dog physically healthy and supposedly happy?
… and don’t forget the time and energy you invest.
It starts with food, which is known to be not cheap if you value quality, and does not end with food supplements, especially for old or sick animals.
Then there are all the anti-flea collars, the anti-mosquito spot-ons, every now and then a new dog bed, collar, leash, harness, sports equipment, here and there a few treats, bones, possibly a safety belt for the car, a cooling mat or even a dog pool for the summer and so on …
And so far we haven’t even talked about the costs for the vet – vaccination, deworming, castration, health check, blood test, etc.
Most of these issues repeat year after year
after year
after year
after year
…
At least for 12-15 years. And if you’re lucky and invested in the right places, even more.
And do you think that will make your dog happy in the long term?
Physically healthy? Yes – but happy?
Certainly not.
This is only the minimum that you, as a dog owner, have committed to under your own responsibility.
That is only the physical and materialistic basis.
But what about mental wellbeing?
What makes your dog really happy?
Certainly not the materialistic aspects.
What makes him happy is an appropriate, fair, harmonious, respectful, safe and stress-free environment and relationship with his owner – be it in a villa with a marble-paved run for the little one or in a sleeping bag under a bridge – that doesn’t make a difference for your dog.
Dogs are not people.
Sure, dogs also love comfort. But what they love even more is species-appropriate treatment and thus the fulfillment of their species-specific interests.
And again, yes, you can learn that – so you can also buy it.
In my opinion one of the most valuable investments in you and your dog.
So . . . what to do?
What is the real problem?
Why isn’t every dog owner and every dog happy and satisfied with their human-dog relationship?
To be honest – I don’t know – because the possibilities are there.
We may have learned to express our love and care through material things – it certainly doesn’t work for a dog or any other animal (and in my personal opinion not for humans either).
In order to make an animal happy, the first step is to know, understand and be able to meet its needs and desires, its language and its intentions.
(In further steps it is of course a matter of finding the golden way in the middle in this intercultural relationship, so that the dog owner also gets his “money’s worth”.)
And believe me, your dog is absolutely not interested in the color of his new dog bed or collar.
So why do animal lovers let their animals suffer from stress, fear and aggression and ignore their psychological problems, although they can perhaps learn an effective and sustainable way in a relatively short time and with relatively little financial investment, to offer their dog and themselves a stress-free and harmonious way and enable a happy life together?
And again: I REALLY DON’T KNOW
Maybe because there is no pill for it!
But now let's be clear
Are you really, really interested in striving for the perfect human-dog relationship?
Then you should treat this topic the same way – like a relationship.
Relationships – we all know that, whether we want it to be true or not – can always be judged from two sides.
Certain behaviors in your dog do not suit you?
Your dog would probably have a lot to say on this topic too. And you would probably be amazed at his comments after all.
We humans “keep” dogs, which means that we also bear full responsibility.
The responsibility to analyze not only the dog’s behavior but our own as well.
Just as you should rethink your own actions and reactions in every relationship with another people, it is no different in the human-dog relationship.
Here it is crucial to clearly define your own requirements for living with your dog, your reasons for keeping a dog and of course your behavior towards your dog.
- What are your personal advantages in keeping a dog?
- How active is your lifestyle?
- How adventurous and enterprising are you?
- How much time do you spend with your dog every day before it becomes a burden for you?
- etc…
The same works for the other side of the leash, of course.
Think about whether you are really doing justice to your dog.
- How much activity does your dog need to be physically fully occupied?
- What can you offer him to also mentally challenge and support him individually?
- How about the socialization? Can you easily take him with you anywhere?
- Or does your dog have a few “weak points”, such as fear or insecurity in certain situations, excessive or inappropriate / unwanted barking, a high potential for addiction to certain toys or even people, destruction of furniture, general disobedience or poor recall, an absolute disinterest in everything and everyone or deadly boredom …? And if so, what do you do about it?
etc….
Clearly defining the balance of interests and requirements on both sides of the leash and bringing them to the right level is already the first and often decisive step towards a harmonious coexistence with your dog.
Ask yourself these questions, and many more that come to mind, and it’s best to write down your answers in a list or juxtaposition. This gives you more clarity and structure and you will easily see which aspects you have to work on – or, and I hope so for you and your dog – whether your relationship with one another is just the absolute hit!
