the magic potion

You may wonder how MAGIC fits into dog training… you are right, it doesn’t.

Dog training is a journey and most definitely not quick fix remedy of an issue/concern. We wish we had that Magic Wand and POOF! all issues are gone and will never come back.

The magical ingredient in this equation is actually YOU, yep you read right, you are the magical ingredient, stay with us on this.

One might say: I love my dog and I give everything to my dog. BUT I have work 8am-8pm, I have a family. BUT we take our dog for walks and it has good food. BUT our dog is a menace… destroys the house, he is a fussy eater, can go without food for days if he does not like what is given to him. He also bites us when we play with him, it must be revenge for not giving him attention… Oh and he was house trained but now it’s a disaster…

The question is: Have you ever wondered what your dog’s concerns are?

What if we had to break down each and every issue/concern into smaller segments (think about what your answers would be):

Dog is a menace and destroys house

How is the behaviour presented by the dog?
When does the destruction take place: when you are at home/when you are at work?
When you are at home what does your dog do?
Before you leave to work where does the dog stay?
Do you say Goodbyes to your dog?

He is a fussy eater

What and how the food is given?
How many times a day?
Does the bowl of food remain available?

Biting when we are playing with him (it must be revenge for not giving him attention)

What games do you play when biting occurs?
What toys are used during the game?
Who wins the most in the game (dog or human)?
Do you exclusively play physical games or brain games too?

Potty training

What changes took place within the household?
When did the dog start soiling inside the house?
What happens before the actual urination happens?

All the above segments are the ingredients to the Magic Potion of your dog’s training. Your answers are crucial ingredients, but we can’t leave out the most important ones: consistency in training and communication, timing, understanding, patience and knowledge.