The Power of Neutrality: Why Calm Dogs Make Great Companions
Welcome back to the Trainer Testimonies blog, where we learn about our furry friends and how to have a better relationship with them. Today, we'll talk about neutrality and why having a calm dog is important. We'll explore how calm dogs are easier to take care of, how a well behaved dog helps your relationship grow, and how working towards a neutral dog can prevent and treat behaviour issues . Many dog owners are looking for their dog to show outward, obvious signs of “happiness”. They want that tail going crazy, happy dancing feet, and a big doggy smile, but is this really what is best for them or their dogs?
Calm Dogs Are Easier to Take Care Of:
How pleasant your dog is to be around matters, its as simple as that. We must keep the human in mind when we talk about our goals in dog training. We are trying to integrate our dogs and their instincts into our environment, one with busy streets and people, dogs, and squirrels around every corner. Striving for a dog that can behave well in our community is essential for ensuring the mental well-being of our furry friend and fostering a strong bond between humans and dogs.Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Building a Good Relationship:
Having a strong bond with your dog is really important. It affects how well they listen to you. It's like a puzzle of what comes first. Both a well-behaved dog and a human who likes being with their dog make the bond stronger. There's a cycle that keeps happening. When a dog behaves badly, it makes walks a nightmare. So, they go on fewer walks. When a dog gets scared or mad when someone visits, they stop having visitors. This response to a "bad dog" keeps the dog's behavior the same, and the human starts liking their dog less. When we first get our dog, whether they are a puppy or not, we should work towards having a dog that is nice and fun to be around. It may look different for different people, but a dog that can handle themselves when they're excited, scared, or feeling extreme emotions is the dog that needs the least amount of managing and training in a human home.
The Horseshoe Analogy:
I like to think of a dogs emotions on a spectrum with Negative (bad) emotions on one end, positive (good) emotions on the other end, and Neutrality in the middle. Most people would assume it looks like this.
But I like to think of it in the shape of a horseshoe, like this.
Extreme emotions, whether they are positive or negative, are closer to each other than they are to neutral. This is a useful way to think about it because whether your dog is freaking out because they are happy or upset the first goal is to help them manage those emotions so they get close to our goal, neutral and calm.
Teaching Neutrality to Manage Emotions:
Dogs have feelings just like we do. But when we teach them to be neutral, it helps them manage their emotions in a good way. Being neutral means they can stay calm even when they feel something strong. It's like how we act when we're around other people. We want our dogs to imitate that behavior so they don't cause any problems and stay safe.
Remember, being neutral doesn't mean our dogs can't feel anything. It means they know how to control themselves and behave well. It helps them navigate the world confidently and stay out of trouble.
Having a calm dog is a great goal for us. It makes taking care of them easier and brings peace to our home. Building a strong friendship with our dogs is important, and teaching them to be calm helps us connect better. By teaching neutrality, we help them manage their feelings and behave well. Let's embrace the power of neutrality and help our dogs be happy and well-behaved companions.
