Handler Responsibility

What is handler responsibility?

First of all, here’s what it’s not:
It’s not about being perfect.
It’s not about doing everything all on your own.
It’s not about knowing it all, or never making mistakes.
It’s not about never being in a bad mood. It’s not about being patient with your dog 100% of the time.
It’s not about always being “on”, always meeting all of your dogs needs, and most of all it’s not about meeting your dog’s needs at the expense of your own.

Handler responsibility is about understanding that your dog is dependent on you. It means you take accountability for setting your dog up for success as best you can. It means not blaming your dog for unwanted behaviours before making sure their breed and individual needs are met, and making sure you are doing your due diligence to set clear expectations.

It’s about reaching out for help and creating a network of support so that you aren’t solely responsible for your dog to the point where resentment begins to grow. It’s about becoming aware of your own needs and taking action to fulfill yourself, so that you can show up better for your dog. It’s about recognizing when you don’t have a lot to give, and creating strategies to support your dog when you don’t have the energy to do your usual activities and training.

Handler responsibility is one of the most important principles in our training approach, and ultimately it’s about learning to care for yourself and your dog well so you can successfully navigate the ups and downs of life together.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to develop your handler responsibility, I highly recommend reaching out to @mindfuldogco.bianca who has a fantastic workshop, as well as private coaching all about supporting dog owners to better how they show up for themselves and their dogs.

And shoutout to all the dog owners out there who are flawed, have bad days, make tons of mistakes, and still keep pursuing progress!