Absence of Discipline

I am blessed to live in a beautiful community on the shores of Lake Ontario, where the kids are only outnumbered by the dogs. It is impossible to walk down the street without encountering several dogs.

One of the things that I have observed is that a large percentage of dog owners do not seem to consider discipline an essential part of their dog’s training.

When their dog lunges at other dogs or at people they smile fondly and say he is “just excited”. When their dog barks incessantly they shush her in vain, with no conviction whatsoever in their voice. When he pulls strenuously on the leash they yank him back repeatedly as if this is just part of the “walking my dog” experience, but never really establish control.

Why do dog owners teach their dog to pee outside the house, to sit, to beg, to stay and to come, then consider that their job is done?

I believe that part of the problem is that the average dog owner does not understand the difference between discipline and punishment. Dogs are like children, they need discipline and boundaries to grow up healthy and happy. For a child, discipline is learning to make your bed every morning, getting up and ready for school in a timely fashion, helping with chores around the house, learning to solve disagreements without resorting to hitting or name calling…the list is endless. The reward for learning to be disciplined is that your children grow up to be welcome in all matter of social situations, whether it be sleepovers at a friends house or dinner at a nice restaurant.

For a dog, discipline is learning what is acceptable behaviour in and out of the house….not to jump up on people or furniture, not to bark incessantly when someone comes to the door, no biting, no growling, no tugging your owners arm out of its joint on a walk!

When a dog is well disciplined, they are a pleasure to have around. Even your non-dog owner friends will welcome their presence.

I believe that as a society we let dogs get away with things we would never tolerate from our children. If you were standing in your foyer greeting a guest and your child kept jumping up and down and yelling “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” you would shut the behaviour down very quickly. Why then, do so many people ignore this same behaviour from their dog? If you are talking to friends and your dog is jumping up and down and barking incessantly, this is the canine equivalent of the “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy” behaviour and needs to be stopped firmly and calmly.

If you were entertaining friends in your living room and your children insisted on running wildly through your midst, you would send them outside or to the family room. Why do you tolerate your dog interrupting your conversation by running in circles, jumping up on you or your guests, barking or growling?

The excuses are varied and entertaining, but mostly it comes down to dog owners who failed to give their furry friends boundaries and discipline when they were puppies, and now find themselves unable to control their dog’s behaviour.


It is never too late to make a change. If you recognize yourself or your dog in this post, I suggest that you immediately check out the books and videos by Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, visit his website at http://www.cesarmilaninc.com/, and watch his show on the National Geographic Channel.

It is really not that difficult to change your dog’s behaviour…it is changing your behaviour that will be the challenge!