I’m always fascinated at how the default setting for the human mind (at least mine) tends to be one of worry and  just general thinking about the possible negative outcomes that can occur in our lives.  I mean, there is a reason we constantly hear the encouraging advice of “Think Positive”.  On that note (sort of… perhaps this is a stretch of a segue) I think it’s interesting as to how the human dog owner’s default setting tends to be one of unconscious presence.  I mean, we’re with our dogs, but I often see owners let their dogs pull them down the street and not do anything about it.  Or puppy owners that complain about the house-breaking process taking too long, but then don’t pay any attention as their puppy roams the house with far more freedom than it has earned.

 

The list can go on, dog aggressive dogs where the owner seems shocked and angry whenever their dog barks at another dog, even though it did it to the last dog and will do it to the next dog.  The first step in working with your dog is simply becoming present and conscious with your four-legged friend.  What are you communicating (or not communicating through passiveness) when you are with them.  You don’t need me, or any other dog trainer for this type of exercise, although it is necessary if you do want to work towards improving your relationship with your dog.

The leash is an excellent tool for this because it forces us to be physically aware of what our dog is doing.  Put a leash on that puppy that is peeing all over your house and connect it to the belt loop on your pants. Remember a leash is a training tool, not just a walking tool.  That will definitely help you connect and be present with your dog.  Watch the body language of your dog aggressive dog and correct the behavior at the moment you see it start to escalate.  On a scale of 1-10 you want to correct behavior like that at a .02!  Once it’s reached a 10 it’s too late.  And that can be said for many types of behavior, especially that which comes from an overly excited canine mind.  For a dog that jumps all over you when you walk in the front door, put your hand on the doorknob, take a deep breath and think about how you are going to share calm energy with the dog as you leash it up and take it for a walk to properly drain that energy (Hint: ramping the dog up with our own excited greeting will NOT encourage the dog to be more calm).

So back to my opening thought, because as I sat here writing this I figured out the connection.  Negative thoughts in our own mind and negative behaviors in our dog come from similar states of our unconscious mind.  Our unconscious mind goes down a rabbit hole of negative thoughts (we recognize what is happening and are better able to pull our mind out of said spiraling thoughts… again, this is my own experience, having never inhabited another mind, obviously I know it works differently for different people.  So excuse the generalization, but I hope you get what I’m going for), the same way our dog’s “negative” behaviors can escalate if we are unconscious, not present, ignore it, etcetera etcetera… call it what you will.

So step up, be proactive with your dog and you’re another step in the right direction!

-Nick