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flawlessglamazon

DRAG HIS ASS RHONDA!!!! 👐👐👐👍👍🙌🙌

verysharpteeth

Ronda Rousey absolutely hates Floyd Mayweather and that brings me joy.

marrymejasonsegel

sandandglass

Last Week Tonight s02e29

“But if we’re going to constantly use mentally ill people to dodge conversations about gun control, then the very least we owe them is a fucking plan.”

bundyspooks

serial killer documentaries and chill

fionaapplerocks

The complete polar opposite of a Grand Staircase Entrance

So happy about this weather

#dogblr #muttsofinstagram #south carolina

zizicat

thatfunnyblog

I just wanted a gifset of all three… (x,x,x)

Some of my favorite people doing one of my favorite songs

#watkins family hour #fiona apple #when i get low i get high

Win a Trip to the New York City Wine & Food Festival

dogsaremypatronus

Your Dog is Only as Disciplined as You Are

Some time ago I posted a quote of mine that I coined during a conversation with my dad. “Your dog is only as disciplined as you are.” He responded with, “in most cases I think dogs are more disciplined than their humans.” I told him to stop ruining my fancy quotes.

I guess the quote requires some context, as do most quotes.

I see so many people, online and offline, who sit and watch YouTube videos of “cool” dogs, or watch movies where dogs are doing pretty amazing things, and say, “I wish my dog could do that.” or, my personal favorite, “aww no he’s a sweetheart and I love him, but he’s too dumb to learn something like that.”

We had a lot of dogs when I was growing up. When we were in the Philippines we had several dogs because every time my dad and I saw a puppy discarded in the gutter, we would take it home with us because we just couldn’t stand to see it like that. I’ve had all sorts of dogs throughout my life; purebred dogs, working dogs, street dogs, lovable mutts, big dogs, small dogs, and medium dogs.

Every single one of them learned exactly what we trained them to do. They all learned to sit and wait for their food. They all learned not to jump on people to say hi. They all learned to loose leash walk (some even learned a proper heel). All of them were house trained, even if they were outside dogs.

Those that learned more weren’t inherently smarter than any of the others. They simply learned that which we taught them. Those that learned a proper heel had been taught it. Those that scaled walls and danced in circles were taught how.

Chances are, if your dog hasn’t learned something, it’s because you didn’t teach them.

One time I watched a movie with a friend of mine, where the dog signaled he wanted to go for a walk by bringing the leash to his owner. She sighed and said, “wow I wish Toby were smart enough to do that.” I turned and stared at her in indignant silence. I wanted to say, “maybe if Toby had seen a leash more than three times in his whole life, he would know what it meant.”

Starbuck was 4 months old when he ran to the foyer and pulled my dad’s “walking jacket” off the coat rack and brought it to him. My dad was only 10 minutes behind schedule. In 2 months he had learned that at 4 PM it was time for his afternoon walk, and my dad always wore the same jacket on every walk.

The “smarter” a dog breed is doesn’t necessarily mean they can learn more than other dogs. It just means they pick up on it faster. Where Daenerys learned to sit and wait for her meals in 4 days, the labradors needed about 8, and they were still a bit shaky on it.

Too many people try and imitate an instructional video on YouTube for a couple days, and when it doesn’t solidify, they give up and say, “wow I guess my dog isn’t smart enough.”

Do you learn things overnight? Did it take you two days to move past diapers? Did you just wake up one morning and start walking? Did you learn your ABCs in a day?

If you did, you’re an exception. Don’t assume your dog is an exception. Fact is, most people could own an exceptional dog and they’d never know it, because they aren’t disciplined enough to get their dog to that point.

The question isn’t, “how smart is my dog?” The question is, “how disciplined are you?”