The Quick Fix

I often hear in my profession clients who want their dogs fixed.  Clients who call me up and want to have me solve their problems in one visit.  The problem with the quick fix is it never actually fixes the problem.  Many of the tv/radio shows today talk about being a pack leader and thinking like a dog.  Well, I have to agree with that statement but what is a pack leader and how do you think like a dog.  Being the pack leader has much more to do with guiding your pack in a positive manner then punishing it for bad behavior.  We all know that with children, if we punish them too much, they will turn around and punish their friends.  But teach your children how to behave kindly and they will turn around and be kind to their friends.  Well, dogs are the same way.  Certainly think like a dog. But realize that thinking like a dog means that to say hello you sniff a face or behind.  People stop and shake hands.  So yes we must teach a dog that to say hi to a person they must sit and shake, but don't punish him for not understanding at first.  Positively teach the good behavior while management with a leash and collar will stop him from jumping up.  When clients have much more difficult problems like aggression and separation anxiety again I tell them they first need to manage the problem.  If their dog has an opportunity to bite then it is the owners fault.  The dog is only doing what it has learned to do.  By positively teaching the dog a new way of telling the person he is scared you will eliminate the aggression.  By forcing the dog to stop but not teaching it a better way of communicating you only suppress the behavior which will eventually come out much more violently at some person a year or three down the road.  No training program is quick.  Even on tv commentators mention that the whole training process took a month and there is more work to do. Unfortunately we have told ourselves that animals are here for our enjoyment.  A part of our lives when they are good but cast aside when they don't perform as we would intend they to perform.  But they aren't here for our enjoyment .  We are here to keep them safe.  And we are doing a terribly poor job at it.