OK, so picture this... I come into your living room yelling a screaming, grab your purse, take out your wallet and take all the cash in it, and then try and leave. Just how do you think you are going to react? Chances are you are not going to give me a big hug and a kiss on the check are you? However on the flip side of this coin is a dog who has gotten into the trash and found, what in their mind is the "End all Be all" of items and you are now the one yelling and screaming, chasing and maybe even being threatening to the dog... If you are lucky you have a dog who is laid back and has no real issue with the world or its possessions, but if on the other hand you have a dog who considers those things he found to be his, well this could get dicey. Now for my warning to you, if you are the type of person that has to be the boss and you know that to be a good dog owner you must be the leader, own every situation, so on, and so on, and you try to forcible take the item your loving dog might just very well bite you!!!
Now, please, stop and think for a minute. Did the dog really understand that that great tasting piece of chicken bone was off limits? Or is that just us as humans expecting dogs to know our rules without first teaching them. Could we instead have taught a reliable drop it command and practice with trading exercises so that the dog understands that there is no reason to be anxious or nervous around his good stuff because we never give him reason to be?
One last thing, just how smart is it to take things from your dog all the time just to prove you can? Didn't we call those people bullies in school? As always all I want you to do is stop, think and then act. Sometimes the first thing we consider with a dog just plain don't make sense :-)
If you have questions or comments please let them fly, that is after all what this blog is all about....
