Kill A Dog With Kindness

As a society we overlove our dogs. The expression ‘kill a dog with kindness’ is more true now than ever. With so many people still working from home, dogs are over indulged. They have constant company and spend a lot of time with their owners. Their every need is attended to – needs that the dog didn’t even know they had.

A good example of this is Luna, a Fox Red Labrador that’s just arrived for residential training. I have trained the dogs in Sean’s family for many years. When he came to me with Luna, he said it was to correct pulling on the lead and some aggression issues. As soon as I saw her, I realised this was nervous aggression, seen in dogs that have been overloved. I often say to clients that it’s easier to have a loaded shotgun than a dog with nervous aggression because they are so unpredictable. Unlike the shotgun, you never know when the dog is going to go off.

The problem with these dogs is that they don’t know who’s boss. The owners have unwittingly tried to kill a dog with kindness. They are never told ‘no’ and so don’t know how to react in different situations. This makes them fearful as they feel they have to protect themselves rather than knowing you have it covered.

Luna is with me for three weeks rehabilitation. The first job is to get her used to the farm, so that she stops reacting to every movement. I’m confident that we can restore her to the great companion she has the potential to be.

Posted: August 15, 2022