There are a lot of difficult challenges to owning a challenging dog. One that is a thorn in my side is dealing with people who don't believe there are challenging dogs. By dealing with them, what I mean is basically ignoring them. Most people believe all dogs are naturally well behaved and if a dog isn't completely comfortable and calm around all humans or dogs, that you must be doing something wrong.
The thing that's annoying is that people act as if I haven't even tried anything. I don't put Kody in any challenging situations when we're around other people because it just gets annoying. I have had many people ask me, "Why don't you just tell your dog no?" when my dog is barking and throwing a fit. Really? Do you seriously think I haven't thought of that? Does my dog even seem like he would be responsive to verbal commands at the moment?
It's not the fact that they don't understand that bothers me, I expect that. What bothers me is that they think they understand. It sort of eats me up inside that, by this time, I know a fair amount more about dog training than your average person. But I don't get credit for it. People roll their eyes if I make the mistake of talking about my dog and his issues. I can tell they're thinking they could handle the situation much better than I do.
But those people have never had, and probably never seen a dog that gets scared at random things. Or a dog that is scared of other dogs. (Because people who have those dogs, like me, tend to avoid those situations with other people around.) Combine that with a dog that is bred to bark and fight when it's scared and you have a dog that you really have to take care of. When those dogs feel that fear it's really not fun for them. If it isn't handled properly, it's self reinforcing.
Kody and I now live a good life as we make progress on our goals with the help of a really good trainer using positive methods. It's taken me a long time to accept that Kody will never be that easy going dog. It's taken even longer to accept that people will never know how hard I've worked at this and how much I've learned about dogs because of Kody.
That's why I've come to be very intolerant of people who use force with their dogs or alpha roll them or jab them in the neck or even speak to them in a mean voice. I know there are better ways to accomplish your goals with your dog. That brings up another thing I've had a hard time accepting. I know not to bother even talking about dog training with people. Even if you're not talking about them or their dog, people get all self-conscious and freaked out that you've even suggested there might be a gentler way to do things.
When I started this blog, I thought it would be about dachshund behavior, and to an extent it is. But what it's turned out to be is a blog about a guy who owns a challenging dog. I'm sure many of my readers can't relate to a lot of the situations we get into. Be thankful for that. Having said that, I also know that Kody is the right dog for me, and I am the right owner for him. I am a better human because of what Kody has taught me. We were meant to be together, so I'm happy that the other dog owners have the easier dogs. If they could just stop rolling their eyes at me, that would be great.