Behavioural & Guidance

It is easy to get a dog today. In our rapidly-changing modern times, - what might become a surprise or become a burden , is - finding out the new lessons we have to go through - once the dog is ours.

Behaviour : the way in which an animal or person behaves in response to a particular situation or stimulus. In dogs this includes responses as an individual or as a group or pack. 

Training: is simply teaching the dog to adapt to our ways of living. The most important fact to remember is that the dog became a dog evolving from the wolf - to become close to a human having a mutual interest for survival. Unfortunately, in the modern world - the interest for survival in the dog hasn't changed, while from the human perspective the significance of the biological survival is close to zero. This last period of 100 - 150 years of early and late modern stages of human living  has led to anthropomorphization of the dog and continues to manifest today. This explains alarmingly increasing rates of aggression of dogs in modern human communities in many ways!

These new developments and opportunities for our lessons as a species - can be simply summarized and explained with three words:

• Human Responsibility
• Human Knowledge or understanding
• Human Application

As a result , if we fulfill our tasks mentioned above - we will have an obedient and stable dog - we can be proud of , and express our love, as the dog dependent on us will be affected with the role we have to fulfill.

Dog Problems do not stem from the dog, as dogs are a species that has evolved in its perfection.They stem from the changeable human - that is often - for the three above mentioned reasons, failing in his human role.

The lack of HUMAN responsibility , knowledge ( understanding ) and application will most likely as a result, create a "dog behavioural problem". This principle can easily be applied to any other aspect of life too, so there is no reason to expect dog-ownership to be an exception to this principle.

Due to our busy lives and the situation we are in today - the new challenges are of course - time management - and fitting our dog duties in line with all our other daily work. New solutions are evolving  all over the world, and a new form of adaptation for us owning dogs - is taking place.

If there is a dog problem you may be dealing with - it is time to look into the mirror first :

• Are you and do you want to be responsible for the changes u want to create?
• Do you understand and know what is going on by having some basic biological knowledge about the dog?
• Can you apply and ask for help in order to apply the changes you will go through?

If all three answers to your questions are positive - you're on the right path , secondly - you can address the "dog factor" and find the help you need. The "Dog factor" may be for example - a difficult temperament of the dog as a genetic result or erratic breeding and selection in breeding or some form of previous conditioning.

You may be confused - who to ask for help.

The best way to find the help you need is to : identify the results you want to see! Can you describe what results you want to see?

I recommend Balanced NEK9 Professional Dog Training Services - www.nek9.co.nz , based on extensive knowledge and understanding of dogs - biological as well as behavioural, that will lead and help you produce the results you want. By all means - the first thing you will need to change, are ways you have been exercising that gave you the results you didn't want. You will have to change - starting with the paradigm or your own ways of thinking.

If a certain type of training doesn't resonate with your own character - I recommend going back to step one and identifying the results you want to see, for your easy going or difficult temperament dog. Once you identify the results you want to see, you will have to comply with the trainer's methods that lead to those results.

Once you find out your fault - you will never blame the dog - as the dog is a species developed in its perfection. As are all other animals

If you have love for your dog - with your goals and results you focus on - your  commitment and consistency will grow as well. This kind of growth - with the dog - is one of the greatest wealth you can obtain in your life.

copyright Dr. Gina Voglar