06/10/2025
I love this so much!
It’s really important to understand that dogs don’t NEED training. They can dog perfectly fine. The only reason we created training - and all the capacities it’s used in - was to meet OUR needs.
Dogs can dog just fine, in fact, it’s usually when they can’t dog properly or enough that they display behaviors that we don’t like or label as “bad”. When we expect them to not dog in environments that are primarily designed for us to human. All our human spaces are usually aesthetically designed and created to meet our needs - then when we bring another species into them - we view their difficulties adapting as THEIR problem that needs to be fixed. Not ours.
Now before you all angry mob me, yes, of course dogs having skills is important, but mainly because it truly helps bridge the gap between human and canine and helps our dogs exist in our weird little world. They often look at us with such puzzled expressions, and I dont blame them one bit. They don’t NEED to know how to do a perfect down stay, but they learn and do it for us because they are truly the most devoted creatures on the planet. All the strange things we ask - like walk on this rope and drop things that you find and for gods sake be friendly but not too friendly and protect me when I need it but also stop barking when I say!
Which is why I am so adamant about teaching and communicating with dogs in a way that they enjoy. In a way that strengthens the relationship and encourages learning on BOTH ends of the leash. Having a dog is a privilege, and we should live and work with them as such.
- Helen St. Pierre
