This resonated with a number of people, who wrote to say they were glad that I - as a professional dog trainer - had admitted to this, as trainers usually speak as if it’s all easy:
“Do this, five minutes later you’ll have the perfect dog!”
Now we know deep down, that that is far from the truth!
How training really works for the challenging dog
Do this, repeat repeat repeat, adapt, repeat, modify, repeat … and eventually you’ll have a dog who can cope with life without a meltdown - and actually enjoy it!
It’s a bit like having children.
We get the one we’re given.
And however carefully you may source your dog, we get the dog we’re given.
I know this well, as my first dog was a Battersea puppy rescued from the street who became a Working Trials Champion, and Yannick’s pedigree is bristling with champions of one sort and another, and a string of excellent breeders who give their pups a great start.
Just like children in the same family - same parents, same environment, same upbringing … chalk and cheese!
There is more variation between individuals than between breeds.
Or as Grisha Stewart (inventor of BAT) put it, “Every dog is a study of one.”
You need to lower your expectations for a while, and accept anything you’re being offered which is even a tiny step in the right direction.
Expecting too much will lead to disappointment, disillusionment, and a disaffected dog.
But the joyous thing about having a challenging dog is that you create a far greater bond by working so hard with them.
You find out all their quirks and foibles and love them all the more.
Sometimes we may look at someone who has an easy dog, never any trouble, (perhaps not as big a character???) and we may envy them.
But look what we’ve got instead!
We’re the winners.
