Expectations vs Reality

The amount of people that have these high expectations for their dogs but have failed to properly (and consistently) train their dog, and meet their needs, kind of makes my head hurt 😬.

Not socializing your dog but wondering why your dogs is reactive (I am not saying your dog is only reactive because it is not socialized, this is one on many reasons they could be reactive), not exercising your dog after spending all day in the kennel, not being consistent with training, etc. this all leads to a “naughty” and reactive dog.

If you really want your dog to change for the better, then you need to show them dependable leadership and guidance. Yes, it starts with YOU.

This is far from everything but here are a few awesome places to start:

🎯Be consistent with your commands (remember, all the unchecked times of small offense ALWAYS leads to much larger offenses)

🎯 Cautiously socialize your dog. Understanding a dog’s body language when socializing will really help an unwanted situation from erupting. Because it’s hard to control the whole situation and there are many dogs at different levels, I would avoid the dog park.

🎯 Set structure and boundaries. Having structure and understanding your dogs boundaries creates a sense of comfort in your dog and decreases their (and your) stress which leads to a calmer dog.

🎯Exercise is SO IMPORTANT. Exercise is great for combating certain unwanted behaviors and provides mental stimulation.

🎯 Lastly, take some responsibility. Your dog is doing what nature carved them to do. If you want your dog to be better then put in the effort!