There is No Magic Wand, But there IS a Magical Process

Do you scour the internet, buy all the books, join all the courses, watch all the YouTube videos looking for help you with your dog?

I see and hear this often in conversations, people are experiencing a problem with their dog’s behaviour, and they are looking for answers, solutions, results. They look here, there, and everywhere.

They go on Facebook, they go on YouTube, they sign up for this course, that workshop, the latest program that promises to provide the ANSWERS and get the RESULTS.

They jump in and scour through all the information looking for that ‘bit’ that will make the difference, that missing piece, that golden nugget that will be the answer. Looking for that ‘training’ that will work, that will transform the behaviour they have into the behaviour they want.

Unfortunately, I hate to be the bearer of unwanted news, but there is No Magic Wand when it comes to impacting on or changing a dog’s behaviour (or a humans behaviour for that matter.)

There is no ‘piece of training’ that will make sudden and complete transformations.

There is no golden nugget you’re missing that will magically be the thing that makes the problem go away, for you or your dog.

There is no magic wand of ‘training’ that does this – I don’t have it, no trainer has it because it doesn’t exist.

OUR DOGS ARE AS COMPLEX AND SENSITIVE SOCIALLY, BEHAVIOURALLY AND EMOTIONALLY AS WE ARE

I’m going to write that again because it’s important...

Our dogs are as complex and sensitive SOCIALLY as we are (within ALL the social interactions they have in life, whether that’s with other dogs, humans, cats, rabbits, squirrels or whatever!)

Our dogs are as complex and sensitive BEHAVIOURALLY as we are (They are impacted by both their internal world – physiologically – and their external world – EVERY ASPECT of the environment around them at any point in time)

Our dogs are as complex and sensitive EMOTIONALLY as we are (They may not have exactly the same range of emotions as we have, and they may not experience emotion in exactly the same ways that we do, but their emotional repertoire is as complex as ours and can be affected in as many ways as ours is)

But let me tell you this….

THERE IS A MAGIC PROCESS!

This magic process has many layers to it, and every dog’s process will be different.

This magic process can sometimes be quick, but can often take time to work through, because every dog’s process will look different

What is this Magic Process?

🦄 It is taking the time to understand WHAT & WHO your dog is as a species, relative to their breed or heritage and as an individual – they are never ‘just a dog’ they will have rich and diverse characteristics, instinctive traits, desires, likes, dislikes, habits, fears, pleasures and genetic influences for starters.

🦄 It is taking the time to learn how your particular dog perceives the world around them and the effect different elements of it have on them. This will all be unique to them as an individual, in just the same way it is unique to us.

🦄 It is taking the time and making the effort to establish a relationship with your dog. Dogs are a social species who are intrinsically driven to be part of a social group. They rely on that social group for safety, for companionship and for social activities all of which contribute to emotional wellbeing, as it does for us humans.

🦄 It is taking the time to learn to speak your dog’s language, they try their very best to learn ours, constantly! Many pet dog parents have absolutely no idea how their dog communicates and therefore have no idea what their dog is saying most of the time – this can result in not being able to respond appropriately or worse still, responding the wrong way and making things worse.

🦄 It is taking the time to learn and understand how you can support your dog in whatever way they need, whether it be environmental support, emotional support, or physiological support. Many dogs have pain and discomfort that goes unnoticed, both physical and emotional.

🦄 It is taking the time to learn how to teach your dog the things they need to know to live their best life with you, in a way that is clear and consistent, so THEY understand – successful teaching is always founded in understanding the needs of the learner. If you have no understanding of what and who your dog is, how they’re affected by the world around them or how they communicate with you, how can you even begin to know how to teach them anything in such a way that they will understand what you’re asking of them.

🦄 It's taking the time to learn and understand how you are ‘training’ your dog EVERY minute of EVERY day. Sure, there are times when we will be doing very specific learning activities, but the majority of teaching and learning between you and your dog is going to be taking place throughout ALL of your day-to-day interactions, or lack of them, as the case may be. A large proportion of the things that contribute to having a well-rounded, well-grounded dog who is a happy and stable member of the family and the lives you live together is founded in your relationship, effective communication, trust, patience and understanding.

🦄 It is taking the time to realise that your dog is a thinking, feeling emotional being, just like you but different. It’s about understanding that how they feel and experience the world may be different on any given day, just like it is for us. It’s about understanding experiences, both positive and negative, can leave a lasting imprint. It’s about understanding the things they like, dislike, need and want are likely to change throughout their lifetime. What’s significant and important to a puppy will be different to what’s significant and important to an adolescent dog, an adult dog, a senior dog. How a puppy feels about the world or is affected by the world around them and the experiences in it will be different to that of an adolescent dog, an adult dog, and a senior dog.

THIS 👆 is the magic process and I’m here to tell you, the ‘training’ element is probably the least important.

Maybe this magic process seems a bit too much work for you, maybe you will continue to search for the ‘Magic Wand’ and that of course is your choice, but I can tell you, this process IS MAGICAL!

It can be life changing, both for you and for your dog.

Love your dog for the beautifully unique and precious individual they are, quirks, problems, and all! Dogs have so much they can teach us when we take the time to watch, listen and learn.

If you're looking to understand the 'Magic Process' better, it is included in all the courses, programs & workshops on this website 🦄🐕🐾🥰

Categories: Living with Romanian Rescue Dogs, Reactive Romanian Dogs, Teaching dogs, Understanding Your Romanian Dog