Dog Problems Quotes

“Changing the environment can change the behaviour.”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure

“The lead is used as a safety precaution for your dog, not as a training aid”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure

“At no time should the lead be used as a forceful training aid. It should only be used to ensure your dog's safety or to comply with local or governmental regulations.”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure

“When knowledge runs out, aggression hastens in”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure

“The secret to modifying the problem is to produce an alternative behaviour which we find acceptable, and which the dog prefers to do.”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure

“Every problem that we address in this book comes with a clear message. Dog problems are caused by humans! We create an unnatural environment for dogs and we often have little understanding of their needs. Our expectations are frequently unrealistic!”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure

“We all have great expectations of how our dogs should behave! But when our dogs develop a 'problem', do we ever ask ourselves if they are really just showing a part of normal dog behaviour which has only become a problem because the dog has to fit into our lifestyle? After all, if we didn't have all the trappings of modern civilisation like cars, houses, furniture, washing, gardens and other domesticated animals, our dogs couldn't chase cars, urinate in the house, pull washing off the line, dig holes and uproot our favourite plants or chase the neighbour's cat!

So what can we do about it? Obviously, if we choose to share our life with one or more dogs, then the dogs' behaviour must be acceptable to us, our friends, neighbours and veterinarian. But this shouldn't be a one-way affair. It's not just up to the dog to modify its actions so that we can live together successfully, it is up to us to find out as much as we can about natural dog behaviour so that we can understand why our dog acts in certain ways. We will then be in a better position to modify our own behaviour and perhaps our surroundings, so that our dog finds it easier to live with us! After all, our dog probably thinks we are a problem when we don't take it for a walk. forget to feed it or leave it alone”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure

“Humans have not changed the dog's way of behaving to any significant degree compared with the changes we have made to its physical structure.”
― David Weston, Dog Problems: The Gentle Modern Cure