Is your dog really better off than a street dog?

On holiday in Mexico I had the opportunity to watch some street dogs and some dogs that were owned by humans, but have the freedom to go out in the street. I even had the privilege to watch a 5-month-old puppy "socialise" themselves off lead in a public place. I say socialise themselves in the loosest possible terms as obviously the dog did not understand that it was "socialising" itself in human terms, it was just being a dog, learning about the world in the most natural way possible.

These observations obviously got me thinking about how lucky these dogs were to express their natural behaviours with much more freedom than their counterparts in countries like the UK. It got me thinking about which type of life is actually the better quality of life. Sure the dogs in the UK potentially have less chance of getting run over or less chance of getting diseases, but the other dogs certainly have more opportunities to express being their natural selves and all of the benefits that come with this.

I therefore, think it is helpful to widen our mindset. Domestic dogs are born into a pseudo captivity. They do not get the experiences as puppies to become streetwise as we do everything for them.

Therefore, equipment like a lead is needed for their own safety, not for ultimate control over their every behaviour! Their walking time is their time to express those natural behaviours and be a dog as much as possible within the confines of safety. They should not be a human exercise tool. We can extend this to inside the house as well. Does it really matter if they steal that cushion or dig the garden.

I made a post a few weeks ago about pieces of equipment I would and wouldn't use on my dog. I obviously phrased it in as soft language as possible as it is not directed at any one person in particular and every dog and situation is different. But what my time in Mexico made me consider not only WHAT I would and wouldn't use. But the underlying reason WHY I would or wouldn't use it in the first place.

Does a pet dog need to be 100% obedient all of the time?

In a dog training world where we have become obsessed with WHAT equipment we will and won't use. And what we will and won't "let" the dog do. It may be more prudent to focus on the why. Why do we need them to do certain things?

To the people who read this that this resonates with, in the nicest way possible, can you challenge yourself? The next time your dog does something, just think hey do I really need to respond to that or can I just let them be a dog.

Call me for a free and honest chat that will get you and your dog on the right path.