Every Dog Is An Individual

I’ve been working at a local animal shelter for the last 5 years. I also see clients in their home for private training/behavior modification with my own business. Between these two dynamics, I see many reasons why people want a dog in their life. I also see a lack of tolerance among people for dogs being dogs. Just doing things they were bred to do for many many years. Yes, most of the things that dogs do being dogs can be annoying to people…barking, biting, jumping, guarding, the list goes on. 

Many of these dogs or puppies are put into a home that they do not have their needs entirely met. Most shelter’s staff do their best to pair a dog with the appropriate person and if that person doesn’t get what they want, the person gets upset. Maybe they take their anger out with Google and give a bad review or they just yell profanity when they walk out the door. Few people take a minute to realize that the shelter is trying to best set the dog and the human up for success in a home. Not many people appreciate that. I know first hand from working adoptions. People don’t want strangers telling them they can or can't have a particular dog because they are older or they work too much or they have 3 kids under the age of 5. Whatever the reason, no one wants to hear no. It is a struggle daily with trying to match people with adoptable dogs. These dogs just need a home right? The person will love, feed, and provide shelter for the dog, so what is the big deal that grandma wants that adorable Cattle Dog puppy at the local animal shelter?  A good breeder will also screen their puppies' future home candidates. The breeder will make sure their puppy is in a home that is set up for success and the lifestyle of the people in the home match the puppy.

The owners have the best intentions (majority of the time). They really do. Maybe the owner was looking for a dog after their previous dog had passed, maybe they are a first time owner, or maybe they want a dog to feel more safe. The reasons someone wants a dog is mostly for good intentions.  That adorable Labrador could be chewing all the chair legs because of lack of stimulation. Labs were originally bred to use their mouth and retrieve. The German Shepherd may be barking at everything passing by the front window because of lack of stimulation. GSD were tending herders for sheep. They would be like an invisible fence for the sheep by not letting the sheep wander on a road or eat the wrong grass. Herding dog = A dog that likes to create order from movement. 

Now what does lack of stimulation mean in this context? I am referring to letting the dog do dog behaviors in an appropriate way. Maybe the owner's last amazing Lab wasn’t so destructive because the kids swam with him every weekend at the lake house. The kids could have been running outside and playing fetch so much with that dog that his needs were met. The GSD could have been able to run more freely on the owners previous home, but now their current GSD doesn’t have an outlet and is becoming more reactive. Total side note, but  what does that mean reactive? That will be for another blog entry. 

I had a grandpa that grew up on a farm. He was always outdoors with his family working. Any dog that was in that home accompanied them and worked. When the dog was in the home, it was happy and fulfilled with their needs being met. Our world has changed so much and expecting the dog to not have their canine instincts and live calmly in your home now is not reality. A lot of people now live in condos or townhomes which can create anxiety and/or frustration for a dog. Do some dogs adapt perfectly to someone's home and lifestyle? Absolutely! All I can say is someone should not expect their current dog to be just like another dog they have or a previous dog. Even if those dogs are the same breed or mixes. Every dog has individual needs, but I can put money on someone with an Australian Shepherd who will have some destructive behaviors if they are alone all day and not able to use their brain. Yes, their brain. So much of this is mental activity and not so much physical activity, but that is yet another topic to explore.

Asking a dog to suppress behaviors that they may have the instinct to do, isn’t fair. It just isn’t. That is setting a dog up for failure. It is setting your relationship with your dog for failure. Wanting that dog to just continuously suppress certain behaviors is not fair. So why even want that for your dog? Being honest with yourself and what your lifestyle is like currently (not what you envision with your future dog) is the best approach when wanting another dog in your home. First time dog owner? A Border Collie may not be best suited for them, but of course if their lifestyle is active or they may live on a farm, a Border Collie may be perfect for that first time owner. There are no dogs I would say couldn’t be for a first time dog owner because that isn’t fair. Someone may have the perfect lifestyle for a certain breed (or mix) and that match is missed out on because of grouping together breeds and people. 

In no way am I trying to say people should not have certain breeds or mixes. Just realize every single dog is an individual. Some dogs may have stronger instincts/drive for certain behaviors and that should be okay. That should not mean the dog needs boot camp right away. Allow the dog to engage their brain in a controlled matter. Dog likes to chase critters on a walk? A possible solution could be using flirt pole games with the dog…chase game is controlled. Dog is satisfied with having the chase drive met. This could help with redirecting your dog away from critters on a walk. It is not always as simple as adding a flirt pole, but that is what your friendly trainer will help someone with. Helping the human and the dog communicate to one another and find out why a dog does something before trying to modify any behavior. Then when working with the dog, you are able to easily set the dog up for success.