an act of mischief

Have you ever made a careless decision that ended up making your life difficult?

Well, I’ve made a lot of them. Let me tell you about my favorite one from this week.

Here’s the story:

We currently have a big dog staying with us in our Board and Train program that needs time to get used to the other dogs. 

As is sometimes the case, I have the privilege of sharing my office with our new guest for part of the day while he is getting used to the environment.

(I love having the big guy hanging out with me. He is such an awesome dog.) 

O.K. Back to the story-

My office can be a busy place, and being somewhat ADHD, I get distracted easily. 

At some point, for some unforgotten reason, I stepped out of my office for a few minutes, leaving my new friend behind. 

When I returned, there was an unpleasant odor in the air. 

My new friend didn’t give me any clues as to what it was or where it came from. 

So, I investigated while the big guy rested peacefully nearby.

Once I narrowed down the location of where the odor seemed to be coming from, I started an intensive search.

Slowly, apprehensively, I turned my attention to my open tote bag that I had carelessly left on the floor. 

The unpleasant smell seemed to be coming from my bag.

I cringed when I thought of the important paperwork that was kept inside. 

I looked inside and delicately began taking out each form.

All of my important paperwork- RUINED!

Tax forms, insurance forms, medical forms, reimbursement forms, school records, prescriptions. 

Every one of them was soaked in dog urine. 

My heart sank as I looked up at my new friend.

He smiled back at me with his big, soft eyes.

My heart melted. Love ya, Big Guy!

So here’s the thing, dogs live in the moment.

I can only correct a dog if I catch him in the act of mischief. Once the mischief is over and the dog has walked away, it’s too late. 

If the dog gets into trouble when I’m not looking, it’s my fault. 

I need to make sure I don’t set my dog up for failure by leaving him with the opportunity to find trouble, especially before I’ve spent the time training him to do otherwise.

The better you build a foundation of obedience and expectations, the more you will be able to trust your dog in tempting situations. 

But these expectations need to be set in way to help your dog succeed.

We all make mistakes. As a trainer, sometimes I forget to follow my own advice. 

The important thing is to reflect on the mistake and learn how to avoid it next time. 

As for me, I am going to try to be less careless and I plan on training a stronger foundation for my new, big friend.

We’d love to help you build a strong foundation for your dog too.

Let us show you how. Schedule your free, no obligation discovery session. Click here.

You pick a day and time that works best for you. A trainer will meet with you and your dog (and anyone else that you would like involved in training) and go over some history, find out your training goals, and discuss training options. 

We can usually provide you with some free tips to help you start seeing immediate results. 

You can find out more about all our training options and get any questions you have answered. 

There is no pressure or obligation to buy anything. 

Here is the link to schedule your free discovery session: https://CleverCanineDogTraining.as.me/?appointmentType=5634497


Happy Training,