Dogs thinking for themselves
The famous Dr. Phil describes the difference between helping and enabling and we can apply it to dogs. He’s usually referring to parents and what they do for their children. Giving help is doing something for another, which they are not able to do or really deserves some assistance in the moment. Enabling is doing something for another, which the other should really be doing themselves. Enabling only serves the ‘giver’ and can actually rob the recipient of growth, personal sense of power and confidence.
We help our dogs by directing them how to act in our human world, but we shouldn’t forget they are intelligent, problem solving creatures.
Once we have established positions, tasks or behaviours for our dogs it is worthwhile allowing them to think of what they should do next. If we are constantly directing them we are not helping them to consider cause and effect.
It is so wonderful when you start seeing behaviours you love because the dog has chosen to do it instead of you demanding. Our dogs leash does not go on until she’s calm. She also needs to be ‘sitting’. She worked this out very quickly all on her own.
Example –
You are building an established routine of your dog being on her bed or ‘place’ in the evenings
Poochy smells something wonderful you are preparing in the kitchen.
You really like your dog being on her bed when she comes in for the night and you don’t want her to become an incessant bench-begger.
No need to look at her, talk or say ‘No you can’t have this’.
No need to command her go to her place.
No need to say ‘Yes you can have a bit but you got to got to your place first’.
Just wait. Continue doing what you are doing and watch only from the corner of your eye.
Allow your dog to think.
She may offer you several alternative behaviours… sit, down, whine etc.
The moment she gets on her bed toss her a morsel.
It doesn’t mean she has to remain on the bed the entire time.
It just means she thought of doing it and it happened to pay off so she finds value in being on the bed. Occasion rewards, verbal, morsel or otherwise is great when she is on the bed for duration otherwise there is a possibility of her thinking it is the action of going ‘onto’ the bed rather than ‘being’ on bed which pays off. In that scenario you will get a dog which will keep going off and then back onto the bed.
P.S. The more you reward your dog for offering ‘calm’, the more likely he is to use it from his toolbox of behaviours.
Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)