09/24/2026
What makes the job of helping people with their dogs increasingly harder for most trainers is the combination of two things that are intrinsically linked while relying on 'separating' the humans thinking from the problem to help the dog overcome the problem.
Simply put - "you're" the problem and the solution; you're also the barrier between the problem and the solution.
Healing is never neat, tidy nor easy. It's a messy process with no straight lines from A to B and there are plenty of set backs, especially in the beginning - you have to be willing to push up that hill until you are over the hump.
There are unpleasant medicines' to take, messy bandages to change, just loads upon loads of stuff you don't want to do.
So you have to make the decision as to what is most important to you -
Your dogs lifelong wellbeing, or your own personal comfort.
But you do have an obligation to the life you brought into your world, so if your choice is 'personal comfort', more power to you, I can't say I don't envy that a wee bit being mostly exhausted being the "endless giver of all things", but if that's the case and that's your choice - you have an obligation to that dog to place it in an environment where it can thrive.
You do not, in my opinion, have the right to destroy a dog mentally or emotionally because you've got "feelings" or "needs" or are just too weak yourself to do what is right.
So when you call a trainer about a dog that has a baggage compartment of problems, know that they can be fixed and the dog live a well and happy life, but at the end of the day, it is YOU and you alone who will be the determining factor as to whether that happens or not.
And some of that is going to mean you hearing things you don't want to hear and doing things you don't want to do.
It means stepping out of your comfort zone to help a being that you profess to love - and the depth of your love can be gaged by the level of discomfort you are willing to endure and the work you are willing to put in to help that being.
The dog is the easy part, our biggest challenge is ourselves.
The dog wants to live a balanced and proper life. For that to happen, so must the human.
So before you call a trainer, ask yourself first if you are willing to hear and do the uncomfortable parts to accomplish your goals for both you and your dog to have a better life.
Because at the end of the day, you will get exactly what it is you really wanted without ever even saying it out loud. The proof is always in the pudding.
Happy Training ....
Offering both pet and competition dog training. Rehabilitation for dogs with anxiety, aggression, fear. Trade Skills™, social skills, manners in and out of home
