Is the dog an asset or a burden?

Why did you buy a dog? Close your eyes and name five reasons why you have a dog.

First of all, of course, to improve the quality of life. I don’t know anyone who gets a dog and says: “We have no stress, our house is clean and we have intact furniture, let’s get a dog to change that.” No, when I think about it, nobody does that.

People have a certain idea of their life with an animal when they buy a dog. For example, they think of a buddy who accompanies them through life, who is always there, even when things aren’t going so well, or they want to share all the moments with them or at least want them to be there. You also want your four-legged friend to have a happy life. As already mentioned, an improvement in the quality of life for both. The funny thing is: it’s also the greatest thing for your dog to be out and about with you, preferably always with you. People often ask me “Flo, what’s the best way to keep my dog occupied?” My answer is often: “Just take him with you, that’s the best thing.”

But this is exactly where the “dog is buried”. In order to integrate a dog into everyday life, it must – not should – be obedient. Ninety-five percent of all dog owners have a well-behaved dog. In today’s world, that means he doesn’t bite and doesn’t destroy my couch. But that was it. But nobody really dares to demand something when the dog would rather be doing something else, and nobody knows how to do it when the motivation leaves the dog and he simply HAS to do things, even if he doesn’t want to.

So we need a HORRIBLE dog. But this is basically not difficult, and the dog doesn’t even have to be able to do much. A dog encounter without him reacting to the strange dog is a must. Then there is the fact that he has to lie down or sit when given a command, that he is allowed to walk through the city on a loose leash and take in his surroundings, but not react to them. So rather simple. I go one step further and claim that the dog is a burden for eighty percent of dog owners, but that they don’t even realize it.

It starts with people avoiding dogs, even going so far as to go for walks at the most inconceivable times in order to avoid meeting people and dogs. All of this means stress for the owner when their dog goes completely berserk over normal things. Even when people are out and about with their four-legged friends without any distractions, the animals often drag them across the park regardless of the consequences. But the funny thing is that all this has become the norm for many people. They don’t realize how badly their four-legged friend is obeying. Because they also don’t know how relaxed it can be when the dog is working … yes, I wrote working because I mean it. I don’t want a well-behaved dog, I need one that FUNCTIONS. This is the only way the dog has no responsibility and can live a stress-free life. If I, as the owner, agree with my dog what he wants to do, he will be stressed and will also make decisions in situations where he is not “asked”. For example, when he meets a dog or when he doesn’t come when called because every blade of grass is more interesting than his human.

So the essence of the whole thing is this: If you train a dog well, so that you can always take it with you, even to a restaurant where it just lies down and does nothing, it doesn’t get a chew bone either, so that it isn’t a nuisance, i.e. it is practically always with you without having a negative influence on you. Then take him with you often, and the more often he is with you, the better he will obey. That’s where the cat bites the tail, but in a positive sense. So, have fun with your dog and may he be a REAL asset to you!