21/03/2025
For some reason, because we are dog professionals and know a great deal about dog behavior, psychology, and training science, people think that somehow our own dogs are perfect, have no “naughty” behaviors, or that age-related behaviors don’t exist for our own dogs.
That is a false assumption, friends. Yes, we absolutely do know about all of those things, but dogs are still dogs, and puppies are still puppies. We may handle dog related things in a more balanced way than the average Joe, and can navigate them easier, but dogs are not robots. Dog professionals’ dogs are not somehow “exempt”.
An example straight from yours truly, FFDT: River, our 4 month old golden retriever
Yes, she’s an absolutely stellar dog, and doing so well. But… she’s a puppy. And a LARGE puppy! And that’s exhausting.
Here are some normal, yet frustrating, puppy-behaviors from the River Monster that we often hear about with clients and their own dog (even regardless of age!):
• Peed and pooped in her kennel
• Constantly trying to wrestle and play with the other dogs
• Knocked over and into the toddler and even older kids
• Had the zoomies indoors
• Gotten into the bathroom trash
• Tried to sn**ch things off the counter, sometimes successfully!
• Barking in the kennel
• Chomped our fingers taking a treat
• Took a joy run around the neighbor’s yard when a kid left the gate open
• Eating the other dogs’ food
• Puked in the car
• Pulled on the leash
• Puppy nipping and biting
• Scratched us
• Ate or chewed up dirt, or a nerf dart, or a plastic easter egg, or [insert item here]
• Chewing on everything
• Didn’t know things we asked her to do
• Couldn’t hold her chill when someone new comes near her
• Stealing shoes and stuffed animals
• Trying to eat paper towels, tissues, socks, you name it
• Eating the toddler’s snacks
• Not listened when we asked her to do something
And no, this is not an exhaustive list, though it is an EXHAUSTING list. She is the “River Monster” after all. 😉
Fortunately, we know she is a puppy, and we know she is a dog. We have navigated, corrected, or are currently navigating and correcting these behaviors. We are helping River understand and learn the rules, expectations, and skills she needs to live a happy and successful life, from puppyhood to her eventual senior years, while still allowing her to be a puppy (or [insert age of whatever dog here]).
Long story short: We hope that this made you chuckle and helped you realize that canine behavior (either good behavior, or the more difficult ones) is a part of normal dog life.
You and your dog deserve to live a happy and good life together. Understanding your dog, their stages of life, and then navigating them as a team is crucial. A good dog professional will help you understand the individual dog, dogs as a whole, and then offer support and tips that can help you with the knowledge and training that you need.
Concept from "The FFDT Way" by Kellie Frederick IAABC-ADT, ABCSDT; book releasing in 2025.
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