There are 5 Canine Commodities that make up a dog’s life; food, water, space, toys, and attention. The most important of which is space, and that happens to be the one that dog owners fail to understand. Unlike the other commodities space is always in play because your dog values not only the space around them, but also around things they value like food, water, toys, and those giving them attention. This is how dogs communicate with each other, whoever is most consistent in protecting their space will be the top dog. All the other dogs focus on him to avoid being corrected, this goes down the hierarchy. By focusing on the dogs above you, you not only avoid correction but are granted access to the other things you crave. Nowhere is this more important than access to going in an out doors.
For the next 7 days I challenge you to do the following and see how it changes the relationship between you and your dogs. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Without saying a word walk up to a door that leads to the outside, and put your back to it.
- Crack the door and the dogs will come a running.
- With your back still to the door reach behind the door and crack it open. If the dogs did not follow you to the door they will be there now.
- Open the door about six inches and step to the side. When any dog moves towards you at all, quietly and slowly close the door and repeat until when you open the door the dogs focus on you instead of the door and don’t move.
- When the five minutes is up, simply close the door and walk away without saying a word and go sit down in your house. When they follow you and come to you when you sit down give them all the love, attention and affection possible.
E-mail me here and let me know the results.