Who loves to see their dog excited? We talk in high-pitched energetic voices to our dog when it’s time to go for a walk, eat dinner, leave the house, and even go for a car ride. It gives us the warm fuzzies when we think we see our dog excited for these activities.
I’m here to tell you to STOP IT.
There are VERY few dogs who can handle getting ramped up with excitement and then make GOOD choices. Would you ramp your kids up and then expect them to sit still in church for 3 hours? Or promise you are going to Disneyland and then expect them to fall asleep?
This is EXACTLY what we are doing to our dogs.
We encourage our dogs to go out of their MIND with excitement for a walk, and then we have the ability to be surprised when they bark, yank us around, and lunge at people on walks. We encourage our dogs to bark when the doorbell rings, and then wonder why we can’t get them to calm down?
We encourage out-of-control behavior (through ignorance of dogs as a species) and then wonder why they bark, bite, jump and destroy things in our home.
There is a time and place for excitement. You can play chuck-it at a park, run with your dog, go camping, go swimming and have designated toy times.
Help your dog make good choices. Speak calmly, teach them what’s expected in the home…and remember to include designated “fun” days!
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