Have you ever seen (or been) an agility handler who insists their dog KNOWS THIS, even when the dog is clearly telling us she doesn’t? I’ve been there, and never have I ever come up with a thoughtful strategy that deepens my dog’s understanding of the desired behavior when I’m busy fighting for MY perspective on what she SHOULD know.
What about a handler who is dismissive of a dog’s concerns about the environment? This was me with my last horse – hyper-aware, skeptical creature that he was. Not once was I able to change his mind when I was “secretly” thinking he was being silly or dumb. I had to take him seriously first.
Then there’s the handler who sticks to a training approach that’s not working because IT SHOULD. It’s worked for other dogs, so the handler is slow to accept that THIS dog perceives and understands things differently. This, too, is a place we can get unnecessarily stuck when we give our own perspective more weight than the dog’s.
Years and years ago I was taught I’d never be able to help a horse until I believed in its point of view. I’ve found this to be true (in both horsemanship and agility) over and over again. So, when problems arise I slow down and seek to understand. I always assume my dog is giving her best and most honest effort.
Consider this next time you’re trying to address something but it isn’t getting better. Have you really taken the time and made the effort to understand your dog’s point of view? Have you approached the situation as if you believe him — because, in fact, you do?
