Are We Asking Too Much of Our Dogs?

Michael Baugh CDBC

In 2003, Jon Katz published The New Work of Dogs. He was prescient. Humans were becoming more isolated, divided, and lonely. Dogs, he predicted, would fill the void, becoming surrogates for the human connections we couldn’t find or keep. Even then, our athletic hunters and protectors were trading in their physical roles for emotional ones. Heart Dogs saw us through life’s changes, relationships, heartbreak, big wins and losses.

The New Role of Dogs

We humans have a tendency to change our world faster than we can sometimes keep up. Cultural evolution now outpaces biological evolution. Our brains were built for small tribes and slow change, not endless notifications and global crisis feeds. It’s no wonder we are so stressed. And so sick. So, we look to our dogs for a moment of warmth, some playful nonsense, a bit of meaningful connection.

Here’s the problem, and Katz knew it. All these changes in our lives are putting dogs under new pressures. When I first started as a trainer in 1999, therapy dogs were a novelty. Psychiatric service dogs and emotional support dogs were very rare. Now, they are commonplace. Dogs used to herd and protect cattle, to flush and retrieve game, and to guard property. Today we discourage them from doing any of those things. Instead, we want them to take care of us.

We Changed Their Story

Dogs didn’t change. We haven’t changed all that much either. But we rewrote the storyline. Fast. It’s too much for us. It’s too much for our dogs. And here we are, in counseling and on meds — both of us. And somewhere in the quiet moments, we know something just isn’t right.

What Can We Do Now?

  • Be with your dog. Your dog is a living, feeling, thinking being. Not a checklist of problems to fix. Spend time with your dog in whatever way makes sense now. We are in this together, changing together, trying to keep up together. Dogs don’t live long. Neither do we. Don’t waste a minute.
  • Move. We need motion to stay healthy. So does your herder, your retriever, your terrier (or any of the aforementioned mixed). Play with your dog. Learn with your dog.
  • Get outside. Let your dog sniff. Leave your phone at home and let your eyes wander. Get away from other dogs if it’s safer and follow your dog to follow unfamiliar scents. Some of us call these decompression walks.
  • Stop outsourcing your dog’s life. Daycare and board-and-trains can be useful. But they are not a substitute for you. That might be a hard line to read. I’m sorry. Humans are clever. We’ve created services to ease ourselves of the burden of having a dog, when all we ever really wanted was … a dog.

Lean into discomfort (together). If we’ve put our social and technological lives on hyper-drive, we’re going to feel it. Our dogs will feel it too. The human and canine brains do not evolve that fast. So, it’s not a matter of keeping up. We have to adapt.

Let your dog turn to you for support. He’s not your therapist or your emotional anchor. You are his. Own that. What about us? We have to turn toward each other. Rekindle an old friendship. Go to book club, or pickleball, or mahjong (whatever your thing is). Be with people. We’re not that bad. And let’s make peace with ourselves. Pray. Meditate. Read inspiring books. See inspiring films. Listen to music.

Take a deep breath. You’re alive.

And damn, look at that dog you have. So sweet. And those eyes. I wonder what’s going on behind those eyes.

Michael Baugh teaches dog training in Sedona, Arizona and Houston, Texas. He specializes in aggressive dog training. 

 

Why People Stop Training Their Dogs and How to Get Back on Track

Michael Baugh CDBC

I’ve been thinking a lot about why people don’t train their dogs. It’s one of those Holy Grail questions for professional trainers and dog behavior consultants. Why won’t clients follow the plan we laid out together?

The excuses are predictable. I didn’t have time. I’ve been busy. I’m not coordinated enough. I don’t have the right tone of voice. I’m not good enough. Then there are the dog-focused ones. He’s stubborn. My dog is dominant. He’s too old, too young, too dumb, too distracted. Trainers hear these all the time, and it’s tempting to argue with every single point. In our heads, though, the response is usually much shorter. “No, none of that is true.”

So what’s really going on? Those of us who love training do it because it’s fun. Dogs learn when they see their actions affect the world around them. Seeing that in action is thrilling. We learn the same way. Our actions cue the dog’s response. The dog’s actions cue our reinforcement. We are communicating!

The problem is that new trainers give up before they get that first taste of success. It’s like the first episode of a series. If it falls flat, you stop watching. Humans have narrow spans of attention, sometimes. Sound familiar? We crave reinforcement. If we don’t get hooked early, many of us find it hard to keep going. What you need is a spark, something that starts a real conversation between you and your dog. A little back and forth of shared success.

And no, I’m not blaming your dog for failing to reinforce you. He’s probably just as bored and confused as you are.

Here’s the fix: Start simple. I teach hand targeting to all my clients first. It’s the appetizer, the ice breaker, the first clear win for both dog and human. You do this and I do that. Now we’re talking.

But don’t rush. Build gradually and set both of you up to succeed.  Grab another easy win. Work on something simple, maybe a trick that makes you laugh. Enjoy the success. Show a friend. Reinforce generously.  Once you’re feeling the rhythm, try a more challenging task. You’re getting it, little by little, both of you.

Here’s the bottom line. You can train your dog. And you can learn to love training, too. Drop the labels and get out of your own head. Go for that early win, that “wow” moment. Your dog will feel it, too. Ahh, this is how we have a conversation!  Smile. Laugh. Have some fun. And get ready to learn. Your dog has a lot to teach you.

Michael Baugh teaches online dog training and in-person training in Houston, TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training.

What Fish Tanks Taught me About Dog Training

Michael Baugh CDBC

When I was a kid, I had fish tanks, two in my room and three more in other rooms in the house. Freshwater tropical fish. My dad taught me how to care for them, even to breed them. Sometimes a fish would get sick; it was usually bacteria or a parasite. My dad’s lesson: we treat the water. It’s not the fish; the tank is sick.

I think about my dad’s wisdom a lot when I’m working with dogs. Behavior problems can be unique to an individual dog. Some relate to prior trauma we know nothing about. Pain or illness causes some problems, certainly. A few issues are neurological. But mostly the tank is sick.

Our dogs’ behavior is a constant conversation with their environment, shaped by prompts and feedback from the world around them. And yes, that includes the people in their lives. Our dogs live in community with us, with our visitors, with the other animals in our home and on our property. We may not have caused our dogs’ behavior problems. Still, we are key players in the game. Changes we make in our own behavior, and changes we make in our dogs’ environment matter a lot. Even small changes in our dogs’ world can have a big impact.

You see? It’s not all the dog. Everything connects and interacts. Our dog barks at strangers; but not if we introduce the stranger outside. A dog might snap at children; but we can teach him to remain calm watching kids from his bed. Some dogs lunge at other dogs on walks; but not when we give them a little more breathing room when they pass. The cues remain the same. Their meaning for our dogs is what changes. The feedback from their world changes and, sure enough, our dogs’ behavior changes.

Treat the tank, not just the fish.

We can do this for ourselves too. When I feel anxious or sad, I can practice being calm and watch the world from a distance. Set the phone down. Slow the scroll. Let the doom fade. Meet outside and feel the sun. Give each other a little breathing room. We can set things differently, interact with each other a little differently. Even a slight change can have a big impact.

My dad and I would talk late into the evening while we watched the fish. He still lives in that memory, rent-free. There is a natural cycle to life, he taught me. It’s rough sometimes. The tank gets sick, sure enough. We do our best. Things get better. It’s all connected. And, you know what that means? None of us is ever really alone.

Michael Baugh CDBC teaches dog training in Houston TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training. Jack Baugh was a world-class salesman and, hobby fish breeder and wise old dude. He died in 2014 at the age of 89.