It’s Not Just About Duration
Scenario: A potential client sends me a video of their dog during a training absence. They are proud of the hard work they have done. They beam, “You should have seen Fido before! Howling, pacing and whining. Now he just cries, paces a bit and then sits by the door.” I search for words that will be empathetic, supportive AND instructive…because I am about to trample on some of their joy.
Truth Bomb:
“A dog that is barely holding their s$%! together has a baseline of zero.”
What I DON’T do:
I don’t train your dog to tolerate your absence.
I don’t train your dog to “hang in there” until you get home.
I don’t train your dog to destroy less, chew less, or bark less.
I don’t train your dog to be quiet in its crate so the neighbors don’t complain.
What I DO do:
Help you create a plan to reduce your dog’s anxieties.
Come up with creative solutions to manage the environment and absences while your dog heals.
Teach your dog that being alone isn’t scary and that they are safe.
Show you better ways to communicate and connect with your dog.
Ditch the Timer
(metaphorically, not literally)
Stop focusing on the timer. Instead, put all your energy into reading your dog’s body language.
If you are constantly pushing the clock to get longer and longer durations without paying attention to what your dog is saying…you are building a very fragile foundation that will crumble with the smallest provocation. In my eyes, that is zero duration.
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