It is far from a secret how I feel about the concept “exercise” when it comes to dogs. I understand that people (read; people) think it's fun, and given how we've used dogs over the years, it's no wonder dogs can find it fun too. But for me dog training is extremely overrated and not something I'm particularly interested in for myself.
However, it is so that I have acquired one (till) shepherd. A working dog who feels good about using his brain, not just the body. And although I personally am not interested in training for the purpose of competition, so my dog needs to use the skull.
For me there is there are two reasons to exercise actively with your dog. The one reason is why I activate Boyo – because he needs it to feel good. The second reason is in case I realize that I actually want to train my dog so that he can work as a rescue dog, service dog or something else cool. I wanted to do it with Ella, but when I took her over from the Defense and called around to different places no one was interested because of her C hips and moderate deposits on her elbows. So nothing ever came of it.
And Boyo, well, I'm a little too comfortable to feel like getting involved in that way. However, I happily and willingly admit that I wish I had enough energy and commitment to get around to doing some exercise “heavier” stuff, such as protection and a few other goodies in that direction. Although I myself do not recover, I happen to think that it is so terribly cool with dogs that are trained that way.
That with training at a club to compete is not my thing at all. At all. I'm so disinterested it's almost ridiculous. Just as disinterested as I am in exhibiting my dog. These two things are completely foreign to me. The only reason I can see to show my dog is if I would get to breed – and it is nothing that exists in my mind world. And the only reason I see to train my dog is to activate him.
I have written about it before and will most likely write about it again. I think it's about what attitude you have towards dog life and your own dog. For me, training in itself is completely unimportant. The most important thing is that the dog learns how we live together, through our living together. Training is – for me personally, something added because my dog feels good about it. I can also use training as a method if I want to teach my dog to behave in a certain way in certain situations – but you know what? It's actually not necessary, rather that.
It depends how to be with your dog. There are those who use exercise for just about everything. I think it seems like an extremely tiring way to be with your dog – that one's entire existence should consist of exercising. Oh my God, there are other things to do, non?
Then it will is added – I'm on nothing put a perfect human to a dog. I have short patience, high expectations, I'm easy-going and get grumpy when my dog doesn't listen… But despite that, my main goal is to be a good leader for my dog, and also to love my dog well.
I have a hard time to imagine that I will ever become such an exercise freak with my dog. Whether it's Boyo or someone else, future dog. However, I will spend time training with Boyo in any case. The biggest advantage of Boyo is that he is a completely ordinary dog, which means I can train him – he doesn't expect us to have done seventeen thousand more things five seconds ago, as Ella already did as 8 weeks old puppy.