What's It All For?

When you’re constantly preaching about the importance of bite inhibition, puppy training, socialization and getting dogs through that crazy-making adolescent period, it’s easy to forget the reason for all this work.  In fact, as a trainer, it sometimes feels like all the dogs in the world are either a disaster or a potential disaster.  I start to wonder why anyone in their right mind would even have a dog!

While contemplating this feeling of hopelessness this morning, I suddenly realized how quiet it was in my backyard.  As I sat on the deck sipping my coffee, I looked around to see what my dogs were doing.  Two were lying quietly near my feet taking an after-breakfast nap.  Two others were taking a leisurely walk together through the upper property, taking turns sniffing various spots of interest.  The fifth dog was casually checking mole holes and eating bits of grass in between.

The neighbor kids were walking down the lane to the school bus stop, but the dogs didn’t bother to say hello or warn anyone about their presence.  I could hear dogs barking in the distance, but my dogs didn’t seem to care.  In fact, they weren’t even interested in the blueberry muffin I was having for breakfast.

It dawned on me that this scene was much different just last year.  Last year, I had three adolescent dogs living in my home at the same time.  Before that, I had puppies!  Anything that moved outside the fence was cause for alarm.  Eating at the outdoor table meant dogs not only paying attention to what I was eating, but sometimes checking to see if jumping up on the table would score them a bite, too.

I remember having to constantly shoo dogs out of the Koi pond, watch for ingestion of dangerous objects and be ever vigilant lest I was branded with muddy paws on my clean clothes.  All that work, all that chaos, all that thinking and doing…gone.

Yes, this is what it’s all about.  The fruit of all that labor during those first couple of years!  Now I have many years to come with dogs who can easily go places, hang out with me, focus on fun things like Nose Work Classes, Rally and Canine Freestyle.  We can have barbecues this year and entertain our new granddaughter with no fear of stolen food, muddied guests or out-of-control barking.  Ahhhhh…this is the life, and this is the reason for all the preaching, teaching, talking and writing that I do!

The first couple of years are a lot of work.  Puppyhood is exhausting and adolescence is frustrating.  People are often discouraged when I explain that adulthood won’t come around until their dog is about two or three years old.  But I’m telling you, it is SO worth it!  You have to put in a couple of years of hard work, but in exchange you get many years of bliss.

If you have a puppy or adolescent, hang in there!  If you have a well-adjusted adult dog, pat yourself (and your dog) on the back and enjoy!