Our Changing Attitudes about Animals (cont.)

Observing and listening to what the animal is trying to tell you will take a little practice but is far more humane as well as effective in determining a positive outcome. It also goes a great deal further towards building a meaningful relationship which is, after all, why you decided to have a pet in the first place, and will deepen trust and your connection with your pet rather than undermine it.

So often we try to do things the hard way, to force things into the way we think they should be or have been taught when a little easement is all that is needed. A good example of this is the way we hold on tightly to our dog’s leash and then wonder why he pulls. Every force has an equal and opposite reaction and the more we pull and tense our body, the more the dog will pull in response. Perhaps also he is trying to get away from us because he doesn’t like the way we are treating him. Sometimes all the dog may need is a loose leash and a more relaxed body posture by the handler.

Another very important way that we can help our dogs is to take pressure off the neck. You can do this with a harness and by letting the dog off the leash whenever it is safe to do so. Having tightness around the neck causes a dog to feel that it is being choked - as it does us - which is a stressful experience. Add to this the stress of not being able to get away or respond in a way that he feels he needs to and you further compound the dog’s feelings of anxiety. Giving an animal choices decreases anxiety. The more in control they feel the less anxious they will be. There are many ways to address behavior issues which are practical and humane that work with the animal’s natural behavioral responses rather than against them.

There is always a reason why animals do what they do and if we try to understand what that is we can be proactive in bringing about a positive outcome rather than reactive to it. To work towards building a bond of trust with our pets means becoming responsible for the consequences of our actions when dealing with them, and this is at all times not just when it is convenient to us. Remember you are training your pet every minute of the day that you are with him, not just when you have decided ‘to have a training session’.

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