This post originally appeared on the website of our Master Trainer, Nick Miller. For more of Nick’s daily training insights, visit nicktmiller.com

It happens regularly enough.

I find myself listening to a dog parent make a fuss about a specific child’s behavior, or poorly behaved kids in general. And it’s not uncommon that I hear a human parent (or a human sans children) criticize a specific dog’s behavior, or poorly behaved dogs in general!

Being a parent of humans and dogs, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been in both of the categories of complainers listed above.

Regardless of the species being grumbled about, the accusations are generally the same. And they are usually valid.

• Unruly
• No respect for others
• Bad manners
• Loud
• Obnoxious
• Parents that aren’t paying attention

And the list goes on, but the themes are the same.

Maybe if we realize that the “offenders” are suffering from similar issues, we can have a bit more empathy for them. They are, of course, often just doing what they’ve been “taught”.

It takes work to raise a good kid and/or a good dog. Sometimes they just turn out good regardless of their upbringing (nature perseveres over nurture in a good way), but I would always recommend taking a proactive stance when it comes to raising the next generation.