A Common Mistake People Make When Adopting a Rescue Dog

The most common mistake people make when rescuing a dog is feeling too sorry for her. They obsess about what a sad life she’s had, what must have happened to her in the past, and treat her like breakable china, letting her get away with anything. It’s important to remember that dogs live in the moment. They don’t retain the past; they don’t really care about the past. When two dogs meet, they always relate to each other in how they feel and what energy they are projecting at that moment. Now, that’s something our own species can take away from dogs!

Treats and Toys as Training Rewards

There is a school of dog behavior that suggests that treats as positive reinforcement should be used to entice our animals to do what we want them to do. However, in my opinion, while that type of training may work best with “happy go-lucky”-type dogs, there are definitely instances of hard-to-handle, aggressive, or anxious-obsessive dogs that would benefit more from a firm pack leader than a treat.

With some dogs, treats and toy rewards condition them to rely on the reward and not on the pack leader. When a dog is imbalanced, the practice of allowing treats for behavior often teaches that dog how to manipulate the situation – and you. He’ll learn what to do for the initial reward, but after that he’ll go right back to the bad behavior. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in rewarding dogs, but only once they’ve learned to follow standard rules, boundaries, and limitations though my pack leadership.

When Little Dogs are Overprotected

Most of the time, when people say they are “protecting” their little dogs, they are afraid for them. They clutch their dogs to their chest to whenever they see bigger dogs, traffic, or unfamiliar people. That’s the problem since the energy they are transmitting is fear, which as you know, is negative-type energy in the animal world. Fear creates instability and can actually invite an attack from another dog, so though these owners mean well, they are not really protecting the dog at all. Instead, they are infusing the dog with weak, negative energy.

Whenever I think of an overprotected little dog, I think of Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell. Do you think a dog is happy, being carried around like a purse all day? The answer is, no. Dogs need to get around on their own four legs. They need to walk – it’s in their genes. Chihuhuas and other miniature breeds that are treated like accessories are example of how overprotecting dogs can be bad for them.

It’s important to remember that a dog is a dog, no matter what size it is, and if we’re really going to protect it, we have to respect it, first as a species. This way he will project a strong, calm-assertive energy that other animals respect.