I was asked what this framework thing could be, which put me off for a second. How to briefly answer it, as well as!? 😀 So I thought I would take and write a little about what the framework is for a dog with his/her dog(s). – and it can make a huge difference between dog/dog and family/family.
A framework – in other words, I can hear myself how fucking square and boring it sounds. 😀 But frameworks are good stuff. It gives shape to life and everyday life, which is damn important – for all. Not just us, but also our dogs.
I sat and thought about a bit, a little more in detail, what I mean when I talk about frameworks. So that I can tell you about it in a little more detail.
The first me that is to say about the framework is that it provides security and stability. It gives routine, recognition, everyone knows where each other is, no one has to think very much at all. It is, as well as balance, a nice place to be. It also gives a sense of control – for everyone involved, even the dog. balance, Moreover, is an incredibly nice place to be (believe me, I have been extremely unbalanced – I've got it).
Another word I want to introduce the concept of compliance. You don't really need to have a particularly well-trained dog – but it is very nice to have an obedient dog.
This too balance is incidentally, which I very often come back to, the very best thing you can give your dog. Balance does not come through exercise. It comes through how you are with the dog, what you convey to it through your way of being, communicate and so on. A dog can be as fit as you like, but still be unbalanced. A balanced dog, However, does not need to be fit to work.
Men – framework.
Framework for me, to describe it very briefly, is how I want the dog to be with me. Which rules I want. How I make sure these rules are followed. It can be things like how the dog behaves indoors – may it be in the furniture, let it climb on the table, lets it sleep in the bed, may it be stuck to the folds of my knees when I walk from one room to another, and so on. It could be what I want our walks to look like. Do I want the dog to walk on a long leash every single walk, or do I want more structured walks on a short leash? Does the dog jump on visitors? Routines around food, output and income are also part of the framework.
I have myself not a lot of rules where I'm adamant. The ones I have, I'm adamant about that, though. At least when it comes to Boyo and my day dogs. It's about how to behave while I prepare their food, and how to behave while waiting for us to go out (while dressing and undressing). All this must be done calmly and calmly, without fuss and hassle. In this I am rigid.
On the walks I am less rigid now, than I was with Ella. In my experience, bitches are easier to get along with. The male dogs can't manage to walk long distances without wanting to pee or smell something, so everything takes much longer with them. I have had to relearn on that point with Boyo, so our walks look very different from mine and Ella's.
How to achieve then this framework, in practice?
You decide for one, for example, few rules you want to be adamant about. Maybe a few more you can imagine being more flexible with. Then it's just a matter of honking and driving. Dogs are not stupid – they learn quickly. As you know, my personal approach is to communicate rather than train. For me, communication happens through body language, facial expressions, voice, breath, how I claim my space, and so on. And I don't practice any of this – it happens automatically through my daily interaction with the dogs.
For me is this shit important. For me, this is one of the cornerstones of my relationship with a dog, whether it's my own or someone else's. Especially if they are going to hang out with me and my animals. It is also not negotiable.
Like you surely notices, so a framework can look very different, depending on the individual dog, the human(s)., how to live, where you live, how old any children are, What are your goals with your dog?, and so on. There is no right or wrong, can I think – but once you've decided how you want your dog to feel, be clear. Find a way to communicate that suits you and your dog. And even if I myself advocate “mitt” way of communicating, so not everyone has to do that either.