Sean and Haley sit down to chat through some dog ownership myths and generalizations that have personally affected life with Scout. I've felt a lot of internal conflict on different topics, especially in my first year with her — and across-the-board, contradictory statements from different trainers and friends and family members fueled much of that turmoil.
We talk about:
The false idea that "good dogs have to love other dogs and people"
It's not "all in how you raise them" and the nuance of nature & nurture working together
How rehoming is sometimes the best option for everyone involved
Potentially hurtful statements like "your dog won’t have behavioral problems if.... you’re a good enough leader, they trust you, etc" that put all the onus on us humans (who are trying our best and already feel plenty overwhelmed & insecure)
Similarly, advice like "if you’re calm your dog will be calm" and variations of "just don’t make a big deal out of things"
The classic dogs on the furniture debate and a bit about our understanding of dominance
That "you shouldn’t comfort your dog when they’re scared"
If taking our dogs on a daily walk is the end all be all and generalizations about exercise
Some related links and references:
One of our first blogs, asking why your dog needs to do... well, anything
Ian Dunbar on the TWC podcast (and our running list of podcast notes)
Blog on the balance between advocating for vs babying my dog
Books I recommend to dog owners (we specifically mention Dog is Love by Clive Wynne and Frans de Waal's works)
David Mech dominance articles (I pronounce his name wrong twice in this episode — my apologies! I was quite embarrassed when I realized. That's what I get for primary learning through written works. Oops. But the points about his works still stand.)
Share this post