What i've learned by Watching

Don Robertson guest blogger

I’ve been hanging around on the periphery of the dog world for a number of years now. My lifetime partner is a committed dog person so the majority of my interaction involves repairing damage and retrieving shit, but with that comes some opportunity for learning, if only by absorption.

So what I’ve absorbed so far is that the most stressed and erratic dogs we get in the boarding kennel are also the least trained. Untrained dogs, do not understand that there is someone else in charge of the situations in which they find themselves, and therefore take on the responsibility of Head Honcho themselves . This can be very stressful. I avoid it myself whenever possible. The roll of Head Honcho may involve aggression, aloofness, irritability and all the other signs we’ve all seen in bad bosses.

Basic obedience training reassures the dog that someone else is in charge and they can relax and be themselves. This does not necessarily work with bosses but from what I’ve observed is very effective with dogs. In the teenage vernacular "their like cool you be in charge, I'm gonna play".

 Dogs with even rudimentary obedience training accept the condition that someone else is in charge and are more laid back, easier to handle and more contented. 

Come to think of it, I'm pretty laid back, contented and easy to handle myself. Hmmmm?