It’s not funny – it’s your fault

I have an online friend who, almost daily, mentions her poodle puppy’s naughtiness. He chewed up a couple leashes, he counter-surfed and smashed dinner to the floor. He strewed the nice, clean laundry all over the house. He knocked over some plants.

It’s in line with the “dog shaming” posts that people are uploading – hanging a sign around their dogs’ necks detailing the dog’s supposedly shameful behavior.

I don’t think it’s funny. Any of it. And it’s not the dog’s fault – it’s yours.

If you know your dog is prone to chewing stuff up – why is it loose in the house when you run out for 10 minutes? And why do you act surprised when your own experience has taught you to expect exactly the result you got?

Why don’t you just crate your dog for those 10 minutes and, when you get back, spend another 10 teaching your dog to “leave it?” You spent that much time cleaning up the mess he left.

Don’t these people see what I see? If your dog gets in the garbage every day – don’t take a picture of it and “shame” the dog. You’re just telling us you’re a bad dog owner.

Instead, pay some attention! If you can’t bring yourself to crate the dog when you’re not paying attention, snap on his leash and tie it to your belt loop. If he’s always in sight, you have every opportunity to reward him for being “good.”

Dog training should be about paying attention and teaching your dog how to make good choices. Limit his access to “naughty” behavior and reward behavior you want.

One of my instructors often reminds us of this Albert Einstein quote: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”