Anyone Can Train Their Dog

By Art Hess

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Fishing in a Cranberry Bog

 

dogtrainerI read a cute story awhile back about a couple of Good Ole Boys who loved ice fishing. Seems they heard of a good spot a couple of hours away so they gathered their gear and headed out early on the next Saturday. When they got to where they thought the fishing was, they stopped at a store and asked if this was the spot where the fishing was supposed to be pretty good. The proprietor obliged and gave them directions, and they filled the coffee thermos and went down the road.

Shortly they found the suggested area and started to look for likely ponds and sure enough it wasn’t long before they noticed open spaces covered with snow so they pulled in, kicked some snow aside and decided that this was possible.

It wasn’t long before they had the gear unloaded, chopped a couple of holes in the ice, set up the wind breaks, and proceeded to get some lines in the water. Before long they were enjoying the coffee and telling fish stories. The best part of ice fishing. You do know it’s called fishing, not catching.

After about an hour they weren’t getting any action and suddenly a pickup came through the gate and drove right over to where they were. A tall gent stepped out and asked what they were doing, whereupon they both replied , “Ice fishing, what does it look like?” The gent said well you won’t catch anything there because you’re fishing in a cranberry bog.

Now, normally they would have sat there for a few hours and started to talk of all the reasons they weren’t getting any bites. You know, we have the wrong bait, the fish are in a different part of the pond, and on and on. We all are inclined to blame everything but ourselves for our failures but luckily for these two, a nice man pointed out they were fishing in a cranberry bog.

Now how does this relate to dog training you’re thinking and I’m glad you asked.

I get lots of calls or I go see people and when I ask how I can help them, the answer always starts out “My dog won’t come when called, won’t walk on a loose leash, won’t stop jumping up, etc., etc.” You fill in the blanks. It seems the problem is never at the other end of the leash. It’s always the dog’s fault when the solution rests with the person.

Here’s the deal. Quit worrying about the problem and work on the solution. Teach your dog what you want him to do instead of nagging him about what you don’t want him to do. Get the answers first so you’re not caught fishing in a cranberry bog.

 

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