Dogs Require Training, Enrichment & Management – Love Isn’t Enough!

Love Is All You Need – Or Is It?

‘All you need is love, Love is all you need’. Unfortunately, love is not enough when it comes to owning dogs. If you ask me it’s not even the most important thing they need. Dogs are active animals that require daily enrichment and exercise to be happy and training and management especially when young. These aren’t things we can neglect and substitute with cuddles and affection. Unfortunately, as a trainer of 12 years, I have met a lot of dogs who received a lot of love and nowhere near enough of what they really need: daily walks, mental stimulation, training and management. Dogs should not be brought home to fulfil our own emotional needs, their needs and your ability to meet their daily needs to be the number one priority for dogs to live happily with us. Dogs won’t know any better so it’s up to us to understand what it requires to own a dog before we commit to it.

Socialisation, training and management when young

The above three things aren’t optional, they are must requirements for any dog to grow up well-behaved, balanced and mentally healthy. Lack of socialisation alone can cause severe anxiety, fear-based reactivity/aggression and a lot of unwanted behaviours such as barking, over-attachment, separation anxiety, anti-social behaviours etc.

Training life skills expected of dogs

Dogs must also be taught how to behave in our human society on a daily basis when we take them out on the street and in public places. Leash manners alone are a daily training requirement for dogs to learn to walk without pulling or lunging. And independence training to avoid separation anxiety is one of the most important things to focus on early on! Basic obedience skills such as calm waiting and impulse control around distractions make your daily life far more pleasant as well.

Enrichment and physical exercise

This is one thing a lot of dogs lack on a daily basis if you ask me. Daily enrichment such as sniffing on walks, taking in new environments on walks, fun engagement such as tug and fetch, nosework/searching, training obedience and/or tricks are all important for dogs’ mental health. The more active the dog, the more they require enrichment and physical exercise. All dogs no matter the size or breed should be walked at least twice a day!