I feel faintly uppeldad of my last post, and although I've written about this before it deserves more attention. What I intend to write about now is about adapting the leadership you have to your dog individually. Namely, it is so, although many seem to believe the opposite, that different dogs need slightly different forms of leadership. At least in my experience.
Ella was that type of dog that required a very strong and clear leadership to function. Especially considering she's not ever in her entire life, fully allowed to use her willingness to work for what she was bred for. This is also the main reason why I will never ever recommend a private person to get a defense-bred dog., because they is not normal dogs.
That leadership I had to have towards Ella was of the type that for some people it looked very hard. I understand that, and I buy it. But if you have a dog with the absurd energy and intensity, it is not possible to play around with meatballs and think that it will be enough. The goes as well as not. Encouraging that energy and intensity can work – if and when the dog is actually allowed to do what it is bred for; Want to say, work. Ella did not have access to that outlet because she had such shitty joints, and I have also been very ill for much of her life. Has it been ultimate – No, certainly not, but we made it work anyway. And do you know the reason for that?
Leadership.
One of my best friends had a Risenschnauzer, which unfortunately has been gone for a few years. He also had extremely high energy and intensity. Leadership was just as important to him as it was to Ella. Another friend's dog – bichon havanaisen Mysak, would probably faint on the coup if I treated him the same way I exercised my leadership towards Ella.
Lilo has too an extremely great need for my leadership, but in a completely different way. Her energy is so calm and slow that she is a sleeping ant compared to Ella. 😀 But given her background, she needs me to be calm, safe and stable – so that she has room to find her own peace, their own security and stability in new, unknown situations. So my leadership with her looks completely different from my leadership for Ella.
More to come soon a dog to hang out with me and my little girls during the day. It is a Finnish Lapphund – a rooster named Floki (named after the TV series Vikings). I've only met him a couple of times, but outdoors he seems to have quite a high energy, and somewhat reminiscent of Ella. There, my leadership will have to look another way. Especially since so far I experience him as a much softer dog than Ella, who could take any notice without taking it upon himself.
The point I're trying to point out is that different dogs require different treatment, management and leadership. What they all have in common, is that leadership is needed because the dog needs to function in social contexts – even at home. Depending on how the dog himself “is” and works, leadership needs to look different. Where Ella often needed a very physical leadership, Lilo needs something completely different, but both need clarity. Mysak needs a certain amount of perseverance and patience regarding certain things, while in other things he hardly needs anything at all. Egon needs to be reminded that he is not completely himself and can do what he wants at any time, but he is so old and kind that there are no problems.
Further that I trying to come up with is that one and the same method does not necessarily work for all dogs, in every situation and context. One should also not forget that instincts often turn off trained behaviors, so that thing with meatballs and reward in time and out of time is not effective for all situations. To teach the dog something – absolutely. To make the dog behave sensibly when it absolutely does not feel like it, goes up in laps or just mumps himself – not so much.
I'm highly aware that I am extremely colored by my time with Ella, and the leadership I exercised with her. Our relationship is also what makes me easily bored by ordinary dogs, and that's why I want a breed that is tougher and harder, and demands more of his man.