Relaxing Ralph!

I just wanted to show that if you are consistent and treat your dog like a dog and not a human, then they can start to relax and balance themselves out!

Ralph the dalmatian came to us to be home-boarded and for three days he paced and whined continually in the house, mainly because he wasn't allowed to climb onto us and on the furniture and he did not know what to do with himself! Ralphs owners love him and only want to do the best for him but this love can be confusing to a dog who mistakes it for weakness!  After a week of reinforcement, daily strenuous walks in a dog environment and clear rules and boundaries, the result was a dog that was happy to be on his own and sleeping peacefully! A great result!

Your dog does not think in the sense that we do, he / she reacts to situations without considering others and will do whatever his DNA tells him to do! So if you let him jump on the seats that humans sit on and let him climb over you, don't be suprised to see a dog who will not do as he is told or in some cases who becomes aggressive and dominant!

Ralph here can go straight back to how he was before, it is up to his owners to treat him as a dog and to not encourage the behaviour that will lead to him being hard work to control and not a great companion that he can be!

Steve