You know those celebrities who are famous for… well, for what exactly? They appear to be utterly free of the responsibilities that shape most people’s lives. Trust fund babies have their every material need provided without expectations or even consequences for what they do or don’t do.
Turns out dogs have their own version.
Introducing the Trust Fund Puppy
Like their human counterpart, the Trust Fund Puppy neither toils nor does he spin. A Trust Fund Puppy is one who has no real obligations to behave in particular ways. No matter what the dog does or does not do, life rolls right on.
Ignore your handler? No worries, there won’t be any consequences. Feel free to keep doing whatever you like. In fact, your handler will probably just keep repeating signals. Sloppy responses? You’ll get praise and some treats anyhow.
Here are some common ways loving, well-intentioned handlers accidentally create Trust Fund Puppies:
The dog learns that he need not pay close attention to his handlers unless he chooses to. How? The handler does all the work of keeping track of the dog, sometimes following him wherever he goes.
The dog learns that signals will be repeated with no consequences for slow or inaccurate responses. How? The handler patiently waits for the dog to be ready, repeats commands, accepts and rewards slow or inaccurate responses.
The dog learns he can rely on a constant stream of verbal information from the handler. “Bitsy, here! Come on, Bitsy, let’s go… Bitsy… Bitsy! BITSY!!! I mean it! Now!” Sound familiar?
Why This Matters
For most Trust Fund Puppies, this just means a handler who’s doing a lot of work for not much cooperation. Maybe it results in a dog who tunes his handler out in favor of anything more exciting (dirt, blowing leaves, the fascinating scent of absolutely nothing).
Trust Fund Puppies have often learned that they can negotiate. That sometimes they have to cooperate and sometimes they don’t. That their handler’s expectations shift depending on mood, time pressure, or who’s watching.
This confusion doesn’t help anyone.
The Simple Fix
The solution isn’t complicated: dogs need to understand that they have to earn the good things in life. Just like most of us understand that we have to show up for work if we want to keep drawing a paycheck.
Puppy Politeness Poker teaches your dog: “You do this for me, I’ll do that for you.”
For trainers, identifying a possible Trust Fund Puppy starts with asking clients: “What does your dog have to do to earn the good things in life?”
The answer is often revealing. Sitting for his dinner doesn’t really count as a job. But it’s a start.
What Changes
With PPP, handlers learn to set fair expectations suitable for their individual dog. There is no one-size-fits-all expectation. Each dog sets the bar for himself according to his own abilities.
Handlers learn to appreciate the differences between dogs. They learn to give clear signals and provide clear YES/NO feedback to the dog. Contrast and even a bit of drama help dog and handler communicate clearly and effectively.
The dog learns that attentive cooperation gets rewarded. Tuning out or sloppy responses mean the real life reward isn’t provided. Simple. Clear. Fair.
For reactive and aggressive dogs especially, this clarity is a gift. These dogs often have serious trust issues with humans. They may have been physically forced, corrected harshly, or flooded with triggers. They’re primed for conflict.
PPP says: “I’m not going to make you do anything. But if you want this thing you care about, here’s how to earn it.”
No confrontation. No physical force. Just clear communication and a dog learning that cooperation works better than anything else he’s tried.
Most readers understand that their behavior has consequences. Fail to show up for work? You soon won’t be drawing a paycheck. Do sloppy or inaccurate work? If your boss has any sense, you won’t be her employee for long.
Turns out dogs can understand this too. Even the ones currently living better than most of us.
Do you need Puppy Politeness Poker in your life? Do you want to bring Puppy Politeness Poker to your clients lives?
We have several ways to learn!
Do you need Puppy Politeness Poker in your life? Do you want to bring Puppy Politeness Poker to your clients lives?
We have several ways to learn!
Our course Creating Attentive Cooperation teaches you!
