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JW Dog Training & Behavior Consulting
@jwdogtraining

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You don’t realize how important agency and choice are in your daily life until they are taken away. Every single day I make small but impactful choices about everything from which kind of bowl I want to use, to where I want to sit on the couch, to what position I fall asleep in. These choices are important! YES managing a dog’s environment to set them up for success (and reduce their ability to engage in unwanted behavior) is important *and also* we can prioritize providing them with choices in their day to day life. We can thoughtfully do both. I think about the concept of “decision fatigue” a lot when we talk about providing our dogs with choice. As humans I think many of us have experienced the downside of having too many options. But I also think we need to be careful about assuming our dogs would benefit from fewer or no choices. There is absolutely a balance, and paying close attention to your dog’s behavior and body language—looking for both overall behavior changes and also subtle signs of stress—can help you make thoughtful decisions about ways to provide your dog with ample agency in their life. This is an important and nuanced convo. It’s something we can all continue to be curious about in our life with our dogs. What are some ways you provide your dog with choice? Share in the comments 🐶⬇️ #DogTraining #DogTrainingTips #DogTrainingAdvice #PositiveDogTraining #ForceFree #DogBehavior #DogBodyLanguage