I have always been a “trainer”. I have trained horses and dogs since I was a kid. I enjoyed training and I realized the importance of a well-trained animal. A well-trained animal is a safer member of society (for itself and others).
Training always came easy for me since I could communicate with animals before I even knew the depths of my ability to communicate with them. I trained quietly, easily, and effectively. However, I did see nuisance behaviors as problems. I was just lucky I was able to correct these behaviors easily and effectively because I was unknowingly communicating with the animals at a deeper level.
I’ve changed since I realized how to truly communicate with animals. And as a result, my pets are happier, and better behaved (by societal standards). My dogs still learn the traditional “tricks” such as sit, stay, wait, down, etc. This keeps them safe when I need to be able to maintain control of where they are for the safety of themselves and/or others. They also know some fun tricks, such as crawl, simply for entertainment. It’s fun for both of us! I only taught crawl to one dog because it came naturally to him and he enjoyed it. I did not expect it of the others who did not show me they wanted to learn this “trick”.
So how have I changed? Nothing is forced. Not every pet I have will have the same level of training or learn the same skills. I have learned through accepting animals for who they are. I don’t use training as dominance control. I use it as communication to create a team. It is used to give my animals a job.
Also, I have learned the best form of training is prevention, not correction. If your pet has a behavior you do not like take steps to prevent them from doing the behavior instead of correcting them after they engage in the behavior. This works SO much better. Especially when you don’t realize your animal engaged in the behavior until later (minutes or hours).
