Alright, let’s be honest! Dogs are smart — but let’s not get carried away. They’re not exactly Einstein.
Many people, influenced perhaps by Lassie and Rex (those Hollywood creations), expect their dogs to “work miracles.”
And when they don’t, they label them as stupid, stubborn, unteachable — and in worse cases, they scold or mistreat them.
The image we hold in our minds about someone shapes the expectations we have of them.
But how unfair it is when that image is nothing more than a false, imaginary creation — and then we punish someone because of it!
Everything comes down to proper understanding and knowledge.
When those are missing, ignorance and wishful thinking light the fuse of a difficult relationship, full of conflicts and frustrations.
The only innocent one in this whole story is the poor dog — whom we expect to win three or four Oscars for Genius and to prove itself the equal of the great physicist, Einstein.
The only way to free ourselves from such delusions and their unpleasant consequences is knowledge.
Where knowledge begins, violence and prejudice end.
When you know what your dog can and cannot understand, and how it learns, you not only set the bar at the right height — you also give it the support it needs to reach and even surpass it.
Learning isn’t a high jump — it’s a gradual climb, step by step, toward the top.
That’s how you help someone learn — and the same applies to your beloved four-legged friend.
So, sit down and learn. If you can’t, ask someone to show you how to use positive (not violent) methods to develop your dog’s learning abilities — and then, with skill, guide them toward your goal.
Learn not to rush, not to exaggerate, not to get frustrated.
There will be productive days and others with poor performance — that’s how it is for everyone.
Even the highest-paid professional athletes have bad days.
Show compassion, patience, and love. Be creative, not DOGmatic.
After all, DOG is not GOD.
And remember:
“A spoonful of honey catches more flies than a barrel of vinegar.”
Happy training!
Written by Yiannis Arachovitis,
Professional Positive Trainer of Dogs & Humans –
Greece Representative for PDTE (Pet Dog Trainers of Europe)
