Expectations

Sometimes we expect more from our dogs than they can give, and conversely, sometimes they can give us more than we expect.

Dogs are highly intelligent beings, but each individual learns at their own pace and thus some dogs seem to progress faster than others, or reach a sticking point and seem to make no progress at all. Dogs with a history of neglect or trauma have a lot more to deal with than just learning obedience exercises.

Example: A dog may have breezed through the basics of Sit, Heel, Boundary Setting, and then struggles with Drop and Recall. The dog isn't "stupid", but they have reached a point where they feel uncomfortable or unwilling to perform the exercise. A handler or trainer's job is to try to identify the reason for the issues. Most dogs will be able to progress beyond the sticking point once the issues are pinpointed and addressed. We mustn't expect our dogs to breeze through training without any hitches.

Example: Breed type expectations are very common. I regularly hear "I've always had such-and-such a breed and they never did this". Yes, certain breeds can be expected to behave and learn in a particular manner, but we have to remember that every dog is as individual as every human is an individual. Their uniqueness is their charm and as a trainer, makes the work a satisfying challenge.

Example: You're training dog number 2/3/4 in your life and they are just not performing as you'd expect. This happens to all of us when we have worked with several dogs. We expect more from a dog than they are ready to give.

Asking an adolescent dog to work as calmly and consistently as a 10 year old dog is unrealistic. The young dog just doesn't have the experience, even if they already have the skills. This is why socialization to multiple environments and situations is important from very early on. As they learn their skills and become accustomed to different places and stimuli, then the dog will become progressively more reliable. Patience, consistency, and strong leadership builds the trust and skill levels you want.

Likewise, expecting an older dog to work with the enthusiasm of a young dog is unrealistic too. They tire more easily, and perhaps are a bit sore in their joints. Like a grumpy Granny, their patience is shorter and tolerance lower. It is important to work with their ability rather than expecting what they can't deliver.

And then we have situations where we expect far less of our dogs than their potential. I see this in situations of "Oh, you can't train a (insert breed here) to do that". In fact, much of the time you can train the dog to do that.

Example: There is a common mindset of Assistance dogs only being Labradors. In fact, I have had (rude) people say straight out to me and my clients that "Your dog isn't a proper Assistance Dog because they aren't a Labrador". Assistance dogs can be any breed, as long as they are able to fulfill the handler's needs. I have worked with Poodles, German Shepherds, Mixed Breeds, and a Shi-Tsu.... all of whom perform the Assistance jobs that their handlers require.

Sometimes a dog seems a bit bored and stale when working and training. If we observe this we can try raising the challenge levels to a higher expectation. Our dogs will usually surprise us by accepting the challenge and performing far better than we assumed they could manage.