It’s All About Respect

Gaining the respect of someone is much the same as it is with a dog.  It’s not about how strong or big or how loud you can yell.  It’s about being in a calm state of mind that is confident, in control, and worthy of the respect you expect.

Melody, a 5 lb yorkie, came into the house and gained the respect of the other dogs.  Let’s face it, she’s a toothless, de-barked little thing who manages to handle the big dogs just fine.  She is afraid of a human’s intention, but a 120-lb Dane will easily move away from it’s bowl of food if Melody approaches.  They all clear a path for her as she dodges big feet and long legs to get to her bed.

If she had words, she would be a good example for a woman’s self-defense course on how to assert yourself with little effort.  She is who she is and they know she knows it!  I wonder what she does know?  It’s definitely the calm, assertive nature Cesar Millan speaks of so often.

Humans usually require training tools in working their dogs, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  That’s what they are – tools.  Be it a collar and a leash or a remote training device, it will be far more effective when we are worthy of the dog’s respect without these tools.  When the collar comes off, the dog should still listen and respond and basically look to you for approval because they know who is in charge.

Their tail won’t be tucked in fear, their ears won’t be back and heads down because they are afraid of the hand approaching them.  They will be happy, confident, and balanced dogs whose respect of you is natural.