Compassion for Both Ends of the Leash: Maslow Revisited

Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s comment comes as no surprise to any of us. And yet, as trainers and instructors working with clients, we can forget this important truth.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reflects a theory that states that “our actions are motivated by certain physiological and psychological needs that progress from basic to complex.” 

It is often easier for us to deal with the dog end of the leash than the human end. We may be quite thorough in our exploration of why a dog behaves in certain ways, examining environment, handler interactions, genetic tendencies, nutrition, equipment, veterinary issues and more.

But when it comes to the other end of the leash, we may not have as much experience or even skill in thinking about human behavior. We might blame our clients, end up frustrated by what we see as their lack of compliance, or be puzzled by their inability to accept what we are telling them.

Or worse still, we can find ourselves in danger of burn-out. We give so much to each dog and client, pouring our hearts into trying to be helpful, only to watch a client opt to use old fashioned methods to get the quick fix.

“Why?” We wonder. “Why do they do that?” 

Each being in the relationship has needs that motivate their behavior. It is no surprise that a dog’s needs might be different from the handler’s. But it is easy to forget that human behavior is also motivated by needs.