The Relationship

The relationship between owner/dog is a huge part of dog training and throughout my years of training I have seen firsthand how it can slow down or speed up training. I have always looked at the relationship between owner/dog as that of a master and student. There needs to be respect given both ways but the master has the final say based on experience. If your dog learns that they can manipulate you for their own benefit whenever they want, they will be less likely to listen to you during times of stress.

Controlling space is one way that dogs show their understanding of the relationship. If you have a dog who constantly invades your space without permission, that dog does not value your personal space. Humans typically reward this behavior with a lot of touch or talk. This then reinforces to the dog that they can control your space whenever they want. This can cause a lot of confusion for dogs when you try to assert yourself later on. Dogs can be in your personal space; however, there is a HUGE difference between INVASION of your space and INVITATION of your space.