As a pet guardian, no matter what type of animal you have, make happiness more important than obedience.
If you have a happy animal, the animal is better behaved. Most behavioral issues come from stress, anxiety, or confusion. This can happen when obedience becomes more important than happiness.
If you have a happy animal, you wont have to force them to do things. I see this in horses frequently. They are being asked (later forced) to do jobs they don’t enjoy because they have the talent. What happens after? Behavioral issues surface. Health issues surface. Just because an animal can do something, it doesn’t mean the animal is happy doing that something.
The same applies to all animals. Dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, etc… Any pet you have. If your daily routine with your pet is focused on happiness being the most important thing, everything else falls into place effortlessly. The animals make good choices. They respond better to their guardians. They FEEL better. They are relaxed, happy, and internally calm. They might be so happy they aren’t externally calm! LOL
The goal is always happiness. Always.
