Did you know that dogs sense weakness? You can see it all the time at the dog park!
Happens in almost every social interaction in acknowledgment, greeting, and play. It’s not always pretty. Your young punk dog bullies the insecure one. The dog who likes to be chased suddenly has 4 pummeling him. The dog with his tail tucked attracts immediate attention from every dog in proximity.
And your dog senses YOUR weakness. There’s no other way to say it. You give him unlimited freedom. You let him bark at the mailman every time he steps on your porch. You cuddle him endlessly on the couch while watching TV. You don’t follow through with corrections. You let him break his down command often. You explain away his nuisance behavior with a sad story about his past. You can’t imagine crating or tying him down. You barely ever leave him at home by himself.
You’re creating a monster. Your dog will love that you are the one that feeds him because he gets unlimited resources
but when it really matters – he will have zero respect for you. When there is no respect – bad things happen.
I’m being super blunt tonight because every so often we all need a wake up call!