I love my job. I really love working with dogs and their families, shaping behavior on both sides of the equation so that there's a great outcome at the end of a training program. The toughest dogs to train are the ones that are the most gratifying when their behavior turns a corner and they're going in the right direction.
What always amazes me, is the hope that lies in the heart of a dog. Every day, your dog hopes you'll play with him. Every day, your dog hopes you'll give him a little special treat or snack. It doesn't have to be a "day's ration of food-sized snack", mind you, but a little nibble that makes him feel special. When you leave, every day, he hopes you'll come home--soon. And every time you come home, he hopes you're as happy to see him as he is to see you. Every day, your dog hopes for a special outing, a walk, some special play with his favorite toy, or a play date with one of his friends. Many dogs love to go for a ride in the car, even if it's just to mail a letter and come home. It's the hope that they have in their hearts: please take me with you!
Most dogs' worlds consist of the four walls of their house and their fenced back yard. That's pretty much it. Judging from the human obesity issues in our culture, our dogs don't get enough physical exercise. Most dogs love a good walk or some serious play for an extended period of time. They love to run, to jump to romp. They love exploring, experiencing new things and new challenges. Many owners are just plain lazy. They don't know that training their dogs can be so much fun, and they don't know what to train or how to do it, so the dog doesn't get to go anywhere because his behavior is so awful. Many owners don't teach their dogs, so the dog doesn't get any meaningful interaction with their owners. Many owners will play a little fetch, as long as the dog brings back the ball and dutifully drops it...like a robot dog. And if it's too hot or cold out for the owners, forget the play, no matter what the dog wants.
My job allows me to change all of that for the dog and the family. I get to teach families how to interact with their dogs in meaningful ways. When the dog's behaviors come around in a positive way, people naturally want to interact with their dogs more. They want to have them in the house, take them places, play with them. It's always a special treat for me when I see a dog who has been relegated to live in the back yard before training, turn into a member of the family who is invited to live in the house with his peeps. That's a dog who will stay out of a shelter, and who will defend his family if necessary. I love helping people see how much their dog enjoys learning, and pointing out how you can actually see the dog learn and problem solve for himself.
And when you think about it, dogs have such simple hopes: a snack, a ride, a game of fetch, some meaningful loving, snuggles, their favorite toys...maybe we should take a lesson from our dogs and and learn to hope for small things every day...our next meal, a car that runs, no matter how old it is, a special snack now and then, some laughs and play every day, a simple squeaky toy, hugs from those we love...what are you hoping for after reading this?
