No Force Correction

With Gabe and Rose, rescue pitties, we wanted to be certain we never triggered them. So we chose to look for good behaviors to name and reward, and to redirect instead of yell, over-use “No”, push or anything that might startle a response we choose to avoid. Remember, we want them to trust us. We must be trustworthy.

We get questions about this pretty often. I think it is an attitude. For example, one night this week I was awakened by unauthorized crunching. It sounded like thin plastic which can break and cut a dog’s mouth. I got up to investigate and discovered Sharrah (ancient lab) had found my left-over tomato storage–it looks like a plastic tomato. She looked up at me with a happy smile and I reached down and picked up the container. I then reached into her toys and picked one out to give her. She began chewing and I praised her for chewing a correct toy.

In the morning my husband found the tomato container in the sink–it was a little worse for wear but still usable. I explained I had heard unauthorized crunching in the night and rescued it from Sharrah. I said, “I think it is still usable!” He gave me a fist bump, said, “Nice save!” and went on with cleaning the kitchen.

Notice, there was no yelling or stress. I didn’t traumatize Sharrah or my husband. He didn’t over-react either. It is just a plastic container–a thing. Sharrah wasn’t injured and we weren’t stressed out. If the item had been destroyed, as long as Sharrah was okay–we would have been okay. It is our responsibility to keep the area safe for the babies.

Now, I am rethinking where I store items she might see as a toy. The three-teared basket of onions, potatoes, and plastic containers may get reorganized since she is so interested in the items. She has a basket of toys. Maybe she thinks all baskets have her toys. We can work on that in a creative way to avoid drama.

The behavior was corrected. Sharrah chewed on her toy. She is peaceful and doesn’t seem nervous around us. A peaceful household often means fewer mistakes. We don’t hold a grudge for a goof, either.

We are training to be certain we can take items from each dog–their paws and their mouths. They get something back and love and praise for good choices. We still guide their behavior. We just don’t look at each transgression as a personal slight. We are all learning and gentle corrections can still teach.

We want trust, calm, safe interactions–so we model that for the dogs. Yes, it takes time! Good relationships take good intentions, planning, and time.