What do you want your dog to "be" rather than what do you want your dog to "do"

If you've decided to get some training for your dog, what goals might you have in mind? Most people think in terms of gaining control and getting an obedient dog. I would like to suggest that you think about what you would like your dog to "be"as opposed to what your would like your dog to "do".

While these things go together, one causes the other to happen. When we look at what a dog can "do", it puts the focus on the dog and his behavior. When we look at what a dog can "be", it puts the focus on what we humans need to do to set things up for success. This puts our overall goals in a very positive manner. The more we look at our behavior and how to make it easy and fun for our dogs to succeed, the better results we will get.

Let's look at a possible list of under each category, "doing and being".

What are some things we would like our dogs to "do and not do"?

• After making a request ( old school would say 'command' ) the dog would 
  • Sit
  • Stay 
  • Come
  • Lay Down
  • Get Off

Some possible Don'ts

• Jump up on people
• Bark, at the wrong time
• Pee, in the wrong places
• Growl, at the wrong times
• Bite anybody, except maybe the badguy
• Get up on the furniture
• Chew, the things I don't want you to chew

You get the idea

So then what are some of the things we would like our dog to "be"?

• Attentive to us
• Calm, most of the time
• Unafraid of
  • People
  • Noises
  • Other dogs
  • New experiences
  • Etc.
• Interested in and able to learn about
  • Training
  • How to live with us
  • To be OK with being home alone, sometimes
  • How to play appropriately
  • How to meet and greet people, children and other dogs
  • Human words and what they mean to him
• Healthy
• Fulfilled
  • An interesting and happy life from the dog's viewpoint
    • Exploring
    • Sniffing
    • Meeting other dogs, maybe
    • Making independent choices, autonomy
    • Deciding who to interact with and how to go about that
    • Able to move about unrestrained
• Feel and be Safe
  • Able to move away from frightening things
  • Not forced to do things when fearful or uncomfortable
• Have human companionship
  • Not left alone for hours on end
  • Be engaged with my human companions, do stuff with me

So what might be the impact of an approach like this?

• Our expectations of ourselves and out dogs would change
• We would have increased patience as getting the behavior becomes more about our role in making it clear and worth the effort for the dog
• It prompts us to create opportunities for enrichment not just training
• It will sharpen your observation skills as you value "reading" your dog
• It will prompt you to learn more about dog behavior
• The more educated you are the better
• The benefits to your dog are enormous 
  • No fear / No pain training approach
  • The dog gets to choose to engage
  • They enjoy learning
  • Their "doggie" needs are met
  • They are more confident and secure as they navigate our "human world"

I would suggest that we start with what we want our dogs to be, confident, secure and ready to engage in a life with you. I think this sets us up for success. If your dog feels good he will be a natural learner. This will also sharpen your observational skills as you progress through your training.