A letter from this puppy to ALL dog and puppy parents:
Hi!
I am focusing. My brain is at work.
Every waking minute,
every interaction,
every outcome
is teaching me associations & expectations.
You may not mean to, but these are some lessons you may be teaching me.
Humans walking near when I have something I value mean I should
get tense, move away, hunker down, hard stare, or growl because they
have been known to take my stuff.
Humans taking out my leash mean it is time to spin and bark
because that gets awesome walks to happen.
Humans opening refrigerators mean I should jump, pace, and
bark to get yummy food.
Please practice paying attention to what you are teaching me.
We both need to do our part
when it comes to us enjoying
the most of each other.
Thanks for listening!!
A word from Lisa:
What a smart puppy! All of us are probably raising very smart dogs and puppies (or birds or cats or other species) who are also learning.
Associations and expectations are learned from experience. When THAT scenario has played out in the past, what was the outcome for your pet? That outcome is what teaches your pet which behaviors are worth repeating and how to feel about THAT scenario.
Contextual cues are those environmental cues that signal to your pet (and to humans too) when to do certain behaviors to get certain outcomes. Even time of day can be a contextual cue.
A few considerations you may want to test and practice –
Make adjustments to alter the meaning of those contextual cues. Maybe you practice leashing your dog and then sitting down to watch tv, or leashing your dog and taking it back off. Maybe your practice opening the refrigerator, looking around, even taking food out, then putting the food back and walking away.
Teach your dog different behaviors to do in those situations, behaviors that are both acceptable to you, and then also have very positive outcomes for your dog. Instead of focusing on stopping your dog from spinning and barking when the leash comes out, you could teach your dog that sitting or laying down when the leash comes out is what gets awesome outdoor time to happen.
Remember,
in your relationship with your pet,
you have choices and your pet has
choices.
Both of you are learners and teachers.
Partner with your pet to create your
best life…together!
~ Lisa
