Visualization For Successful Dog Ownership

In order to have the best outcome for your dog's training, I recommend setting some future goals and creating some mental imagery of what that future will look like. Without a dream, then how can that dream come true?

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. These days, my health isn't the same as it used to be. I'm more tired. My feet hurt all the time. I get weird autonomic reflexes from time to time, and phantom pains. Contrast this to the way I was most of my life... I was someone who hadn't seen a doctor since I was in my mid teens. I could work all day and into the night, day after day. I felt great all the time, in shape, no injuries, great cardio, strong... you name it. This new situation has developed into a journey, a quest, to get back to what I know is my normal healthy self. I have goals of how I would like to feel, things I would like to do again, places I would like to visit, shoes I would like to wear, and a sense of inner peace about my health.

The visualization, that mental imagery, came in handy on Friday at the gym. I go to work out, but also it is ongoing physical therapy. But, I didn't feel like it that day. I was tired, a bit cranky.

I went anyway. I did every repetition, every minute, full intensity. I never let myself quit (if the instructor says 100 repetitions, I would never do 99... doing that would make me a quitter, and once you quit, it is easier to quit a second time, and a third, and so on). I'm there to get well and to stay as healthy as possible. My goals are stronger than my current situation. My doctor likes me as a patient... I do it all, he knows my goal is to be healed, not just to tolerate this mess.

Responsible dog ownership, and having a well trained dog, work the same way. I recommend first getting a vision of how you'd like your dog ownership experience to develop and turn out. Find meaningful life goals. What are your days and nights going to be like? Is your dog going to be fit and healthy? Plan on taking your dog to work? Plan on taking your dog on vacations? How about doing therapy dog work, or is this dog going to be your emotional support dog? What is this dog going to be like with strangers, friends, family, other pets, and other animals? What are the minimum standards you want in terms of obedience? I think it is very important to set these goals.

Those goals, visualizations, that imagery will cause you to not quit on your dog. It will give you that energy to see through all the training to have a well mannered, safe, controllable, obedient, and loving dog.

I have seen, and worked with, some people who put in a half baked effort training and living with their dogs. It's kind of like eating lukewarm soup, stale bread, or wilted vegetables. Not so great. It's like taking something that should have been wonderful, and then neglecting it, and then settling for less. I just don't see the point. You know, puppies start out has happy fun loving bundles of fur. Then, either the people build on that, or they wreck their dogs. Shelters are fed up with neglectful dog owners who dump their dogs because they were quitters, losers. The happy dog might instead now be a bag of ribs, maybe have some scars, have some emotional traumas, very little training... and someone has to come in and save that pup and try to patch up these emotional, training and health wounds.

Successful dog owners start with a vision of successful dog ownership. I ask new puppy owners what they envision, and the good ones already have an idea of what they want. That's why they have already hired me, are ready to write the check, and have their calendars open so we can schedule the lessons out into the coming weeks. I know pretty quickly, from the first appointment, the dogs that are going to turn out the best. It is always with these types of visionary people. They get it. They love dogs and they love their new dog.

This is also true when dealing with dogs with, sometimes severe, behavioral issues. I'm thinking right now of a couple of dog aggressive pit bulls I'm working with. The owners are motivated, we are almost to the end of the programs they signed up for, and these dogs are no longer reacting to strange dogs in public. The owners knew what they wanted, visualized the end they wanted, and it made them dig in and do all the homework. Visualization is one of the secret tools for turning around difficult dog problems. Just having a set of exercises, or enrolling in some program, isn't enough. There has to be the follow through, especially when you start out with a dog with a lot of problems.

So, your homework, today, is to set those goals, visualize the future you want for your dog. Then, if we work together, let's set a plan to get there. It might not happen tomorrow, and for severe cases, might not happen for months or even over a year, but most likely you will get there. That's what I want for you, what I visualize for you and your dog.

"See" you soon!