For many owners, this means allowing their dogs to do whatever they want, and instigate play with any dog that takes their fancy. To us however, this means allowing our dogs to do what they’d enjoy, but in a safe, structured and appropriate way, that doesn’t negatively impact another owner or their dog.
How many of you have been told that you’re ‘too strict’ with your dog and have been made to feel you should lighten up, or just ‘let them play.’ Have you been made to feel not only like a total nerd for taking your dog’s wellbeing so seriously, but as if you aren’t letting your dog have their fun and fulfilment as well?
Funnily enough, it’s actually the same people who try to make you feel this way who actually have the completely wrong idea about what ‘letting a dog be a dog’ actually means in the first place. In a world where it’s seen as normal for a dog to destroy your house whilst you’re out, and in contrast putting a dog in a crate is seen as cruel, it’s no wonder that ‘let dogs be dogs’ is entirely misunderstood.
To many owners, letting a dog ‘be a dog’ involves allowing their dog to have off-leash freedom whether they can handle that freedom or not. Allowing their dogs to interact with whoever the hell they choose, eat whatever they want, climb on the furniture, and jump up on anybody they want.
It’s so important that structure and boundaries are implemented that enable us to have a stress-free life with our dogs, and to keep not only ourselves, but also others around us, safe. We can’t emphasise enough that one of the main reasons we put so much time and effort into our dogs and their training, is so that they can ultimately go on to do anything they like!
Once you have a dog that understands how to make good decisions, and you have full control over their behaviour with obedience and impulse control, you can take them anywhere and do anything with them. Their freedom then becomes limitless.
Don’t be pressurised by others who quite frankly don’t know much about dogs and what goes into keeping them mentally, physically and biologically fulfilled. Stick to your training and stick to your plans.
