“Training the Whole Dog”
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jp19kQO6AQ
"Training the Whole Dog" is a concept I coined and that revealed itself to me after a handful of years of working with clients.
Most typical dog training programs focus on only one end of the leash (the dog), and only one aspect of that end of the leash (the mental body). Hence why so many struggle.
Somewhere along the way, "obedience training" became synonymous with "dog training". But all "obedience training" is, is attaching meaning to verbal cues and directives. That's it. *Compliance*, on the other hand, requires other things be spoken to and developed. It's not just a matter of understanding what's being asked- much like with children ("selective hearing" is a - very - common grievance in a lot of human-dog dynamics).
Now, is obedience training important? Yes. Is it the only thing we need to work on with our dogs? Absolutely not. It's merely one component of many.
Speaking to the whole picture, the whole scenario, and the whole dog is how we're able to get the results we get when it comes to *behavior*. Shining a spotlight on all of the contributing ingredients that contribute to, influence, impact... even birth behavior.
Outside of obedience training (much like outside the classroom for children), lies everything else we humans need to be aware of so we can equip our dogs for "real life". Real world living. And not just real world living, but "our" world living. Everyone's lifestyles, hopes, priorities, and goals will differ.
"Having a dog"... and actually *raising a dog* are two entirely different things. And this is why we exist. To bridge that gap with information, understanding, and know-how.
