Bratty dog vs well behaved dog

I love the nature vs nurture idea and it comes into play in what I want to talk about today. What do I mean by nature in dog training? The nature is genetics. Its when the dog comes from good stock with you having to do anything. I used to wonder how some dogs were so muscular only to realize their father was also muscular. Nature plays a big role in protection dog training. Some dogs have “it” and some dogs don't. Sometimes I hear people say that they want their dog to be protective. The problem is that som dogs don’t have a prtective instinct. Sure they bark at strangers, but thats mostly out of fear not protection. The other part to this equation is training. A protection dog can only truly protect on command through training. This is the nurture side of the same coin.

Nurture is how you raise your dog. What type of environment? Is she socialized well? Does she have any fears not due to genetic disposition? I focus mostly on nurture when training dogs. It's the only area I have control over. I can't control what a dog was born with.

I seen a friend with their dog. It was a pit bull that was well behaved and even easily capable of being off leash within a short period of time. His dog was 7 months old. His roommate claimed she was a dog trainer and said the dog needed no training. As much as i feel a dog trainer is needed, I agreed. If my friend just wanted a well behaved dog the dog needed no training. This dog was laid back and calm. I would trust a kid 6 years old and above to be around this dog. My friend began to explain to me that this dog was not like his previous dog. This dog was naturally calm and not pushy whatsoever. His last dog was a brat and if you gave her an inch she would take the whole football field for a touchdown. How do you recognize each?

Laid back dog

Has ears slightly backwards and flat against head

Eager to please

Looks at you a lot for approval

Moves slow a lot

I don't want you to confused this with a dog who has been punished a lot. These dogs can show the same signs yet it's because their natural drive has been suppressed. You would have to know a dogs history to know for sure.

Bratty dog

Pushes head on you to make you pet them

Usually the first one to eat from mother and pushes other puppies out of the way

Possessive over toys, people, and other objects

Rushes out the front door

Never takes in information from the owner

When you correct they tend to redirect as if to say “how dare you”

These are just some ways that you can easily spot this behavior.

I wrote this post with the beauty of variety in dog’s personality in mind. I love it how different breeds have different tendencies. Since society has been modernized we forget that all dogs have a purpose. Some dogs are not made to sit in an apartment with little exercise. Other dogs have a tendency to chase things. This could be the difference between a well behaved dog and a “bratty” dog. The dog might just be displaying natural tendencies that is not beneficial to us in our modern society.

Get a professional dog trainer to help you figure this out.

Why I quit PetSmart And decided to start my own company?

Many dog owners go to PetSmart for the money deal. They have 6 week classes for $129. That sounds like a bargain right? Not really because its a lot of filler and making sure the classes are stretched out. I'm not saying that the training is all bad, it;s just low grade compared to what you could be getting from an actual trainer.

Since they are a corporation they are about money. I'm not complaining about that. They promise that clients get a money back guarenteed if they are not satisfied with the class. What I am complaining about is that that money comes out of my paycheck if a client does want a refund. Its not my fault a client wants a refund. They taught me the methods to use and I had to use their methods.

It was bad enough that they weren't paying enough, but this was over the top. Now business is business. I'm sure they were not in the business to lose money. Therefore I agree with those methods to market, but as an employee who loves dog training all around I was upset by the limiting tools and methods I could use.

I remember I had to train a boxer who wasn't aggressive, but he was hyper. The owner had an issue with the dog jumping up on people. I did the petsmart  way but the owner was very impatient. I let him know that it does take patience and consistency. Unfortunately, as a petsmart employee I was not allowed to go to a client's home to offer training. So I couldn't be certain what they were doing at home.

When a dog has behavior issues most of the time it has to do with how you live with your dog. Your dog can know all the obedience commands in the world, but not perform it if you live poorly with your dog.

What I mean by living poorly in simple terms is your dog not respecting what you say because your dog doesn't understand and you haven't explained the rules  the best you can or because you lack consistency.

The dog spent most of their time home and around the neighborhood so that's where I wanted to do my work. Another reason I quit and went rogue was because I hate working in retail. I don't know about how you feel, but to me it sucks. The hours cutting, the short lunch break, the constant standing on your feet looking aimlessly for something to do, the constant need to be pleasant to people who are beyond rude and look down on you. I think I'll pass.

I feel much happier now that I have the freedom to help my clients connect more with their dog in a deeper way. I don't have to smile at every person that walks by like a crazy clown. I can be truthful, authentic, and creative. I love it and my clients love it and do great also. I can't wait to see what the future holds. Some big plans coming soon.