Hit That Breaking Point
How do you know when the breaking point is? When is enough? Don’t pull all of your hair out yet. Keep them bad boys in for a bit. Running around with a bald head because of dissatisfaction with your dog’s behavior doesn’t help anybody.
Yep, I would bet if you read that question and have wondered it yourself, well, you are at a great starting point. A good rebuttal question is, have you tried all you can to help yourself?
You truly know that something has to change if that doesn’t work. You can get that sense, but you have to hit a point of knowing it is out of your control. At this point, you will openly give it into the hands of another.
It’s time to seek out options. Options that you can utilize. Eventually, the result needs to work. But, we believe you must try as hard as you can on your own.
Why Is It So Important To Try Yourself Beyond The Breaking Point?
Because that will mean you are ready to accept help. You know that the problem is beyond you solving by yourself. You need guidance. You should be open to opinions, criticism, and different options by this time
By trying on your own relentlessly, you will come to a point where you will have to stop and give it to the hands of another. It isn’t a walk in a park. We understand. By trying so hard on your own, you will achieve a state of humility with an open heart and mind to help.
What Is Behavioral Rehab?
Rehab is submitting. If you don’t want to give up, sourcing out for help can be a life-changing option. Making the correct decisions in a time of defeat will be a conquered situation. Rehab is a new fresh start.
Rehab is someone helping you, looking at your situation with a fresh, crisp, clear outlook. Just know you are making the right decision. You need a professional. Someone savvy in dog behavioral training.
Admitting Your Dog Needs Rehab.
Admit there is a problem you can not control. Be self-aware that you can’t control it yourself. Your problem has crossed the line and become unmanageable. If you have these things run through your head, you probably need behavior work.
While you are in the stages of admitting, search out clarity. Search out a person you feel comfortable with. They should easily connect with you to train you and your dog effectively.
You want to find someone you can respect right off the bat. They may offer you ways in that you could change for the greater good. To have respect and faith in them and what they do, you open the door for them to help you.
Getting Started
- Start researching out behavior trainers.
- Start local.
- Specify what to look for in a trainer.
- You need someone to hone in on the core behavioral problem of your dog. No command training is going to fix that.
- What is the trainer’s work based on?
- How do they go about it?
- Read up on information on them.
- You must find someone you can connect with or someone you can tell has the experience and is there only to help you and your situation.
Begin locally in your search for a trainer. Reach out to local rescues. They will be cost-efficient and do their best to point you in the right direction. They will do just about anything to prevent you from surrendering your dog, as long as they believe the problem can be fixed.
The local shelters will have links to good reputable trainers. It’s good to check out the trainer’s facility and have a good convo about the situation. They should always want to talk to you and leave you with tips that you can do until they can get to you. Trainers should leave doors open.
Assessment
A good trainer should want to do an in-person assessment. You should show the trainer everything that is going on. A trainer should be observant and explain why they make assumptions.
There Should be good communication between you and the trainer. Vibes, are real. You should like the person for better communication. Vibes get that flow of conversation going, and with that comes understanding.
Flow is key to behavioral training. The flow will make things smooth, especially along the lines of understandable learning.
The trainer should be able to let you let your guard down. If you do not vibe with the person, you will not let your guard down. You have to feel comfortable to solve a problem. Go with your gut.
Train Day
Once you start training, keep looking for other training help if you walk away from that first session not satisfied. It’s always ok to pull the plug and walk away.
You should feel your trainer is listening to you. Your trainer should be observant and almost catch things you have overlooked. They should catch you by surprise by how observant they are.
Maybe you were unaware of something until they said it. Maybe you were aware of something that you didn’t want the trainer to know. Then they brought it to light. These are the signs of a good trainer because of their observances.
You need to know that your trainer has spent time seeing your problem. They should be aware and focused on the real problems. Just because your dog isn’t liking what’s going on doesn’t mean you should believe it’s a bad thing. Your dog is essentially in boot camp.
You should be observant of the training when it’s happening with a learning mind. As time goes on, you should witness your dog change their behavior.
Differences in classes
There are different types of classes you can take. The two we will mention are home-based and seminar-based classes. Both have their benefits. One is not necessarily better or worse than the other. We will go through the differences between the two to determine what is best for you.
Seminar based
Seminar-based classes can vary. Some seminar-based classes could last one afternoon, and some could last up to a couple of days. The one-day seminar classes are not necessarily there to solve the core problem, but it’s true that they also could.
They should give you basics and could benefit you no matter your problem. A one-day class could save you time and money. It could be an excellent place for guidance on a path to go down if your problem isn’t immediately solved that day.
At a minimum, you should walk away with some awareness, clarity, and guidance. One-day seminars could also be all that you need. It should at least start you down the correct path.
One-day seminars are more advice-based, not as much one on one interaction. If you believe you have just gotten off track with something, it should boost you to get back on the right track. Just remember, the training could be based on obedience rather than behavior training. It all depends on what the trainer has to offer.
As far as a multiple-day seminar goes, there should be a written step-by-step process in the plan. There should be a clear definition of how the training will go and the desired outcome that you are looking for. You should know exactly what you are getting.
In-Home Training
What do you get out of home-based training? It’s a one on one real experience. More focused on the problem. The trainer will be more focused on you and your dog. You will receive more of a connection. A good trainer will help find the problem and come up with solutions.
If you have a trainer coming to your home, it’s all about you, your dog, and your family.
No case should be looked at the same. Each case is different. Each family is different, therefore making each case different. Your trainer should be observant and adapt to the environment and everyone involved to truly seek out the cause and develop a proper solution.
Conclusion
Have confidence in your trainer. Your training should begin where you feel comfortable. If you are comfortable, you are open to criticism and correction. It may be a little overwhelming for some, but that’s ok.
We all need to strive to live a better life. If that means putting our dogs into a program, so be it. Just take action and stick with it. Vision your desired result, and it will come to you.