01/01/2026
🎉 Happy 2026 to you all 🥳
With Christmas now in the rear view mirror and New Year celebrations almost over, I'd like to ask you just one thing....
WHAT NOW? 🤷♀️
I don't do resolutions but rather I make decisions.
Resolutions are made on the fly, in the moment and without too much thought. Merely just hopes and dreams built on nothing. 💭
Decisions on the other hand are usually made after long deliberations, weighing up alternatives and are generally built on somewhat more stable well established foundations or even new ones. 🎯
We make plans for ourselves, our jobs, our children and our families all throughout our lives. Plans on who we have a relationship with, when we have children, where we live, where we work, where our children go to school and how they are educated.. the list goes on.
However, when it comes to our dogs, the majority have no plan at all, going from puppy to adult dog wondering why things go from sweet and playful to a nightmare dog that pulls on the leash, doesn't listen, runs away if let off leash, is reactive to other dogs and sometimes people...and more besides! 🫥
So, what happened to that once lovely puppy that we loved? 🐶
Simply, there wasn't a plan for them. They were left out and their future not really considered. 🙁
It's not that we don't love our pets, it's just that we fail to understand what our dog needs, from a dog's standpoint and a breed one.
We expect them to settle in to the family, do as they are told, not make a nuisance of themselves, be able to negotiate different environments, settle down when required, get along with the majority of people, be quiet when alone in the house and outside it and numerous other things. Yet, the majority of people don't have a plan on how to help their dog achieve any of this. They just hope things will turn out OK. It probably won't.
We spend time and money educating our children on how to navigate the world, but fail to do the same for our dogs. Yet, we blame them if they don't tow the line or have issues, sometimes threatening them with being rehomed. 🏠
In this New Year, how about giving some thought 💭 to what you expect your dog to achieve and make a plan on how to achieve it?
As those that know me are well aware, I am a big fan of doing place work with all my clients dogs. Just teaching your dog a simple "Place" command (see photo) encompasses so many skills that it gives your dog a good foundation in obedience and increase their confidence no end 💪.
To take a photo of your dog on something they need to know what Place is, what position to be in - Sit, Down or Stand - how to wait until you take a photo 📷, and usually from a distance, cope with distractions happening around them and be able to look at you just when you decide to press that shutter.
Moreover, they need to know when you have taken the photo and they can break position.
So much to train for just one thing, but if you made a plan on how to train your dog so that you can take a posed photo of them anywhere you choose, then you will have a dog that has a good understanding of fundamental obedience that you can be proud of.
But you do need a plan! 📝
Whatever you decide to do with your dog this year, whether it be a dog sport or just a well-behaved family pet, give them the gift of having a plan of how they can achieve it.
And if you are unsure on how to achieve the goals you set for them, we can certainly help you with any aspect of bringing your plan into reality.
On that note, happy 2026 and happy training. 🐾
