Distant Dog Trainer

Do not think the obedience dog trainer you hired does not like your dog if he seems distant with the animal.

He does this for two reasons:

(1) If you start out trying to be a dog's friend first and leader second, you are not the dominant one in the dog's mind. It is very hard to change that concept.

(2) The dog trainer does not want the dog to become too attached to him, because that would make it very hard for the dog's love to transfer from the trainer to the owner.

I had a friend who could not see, and she was given a guide dog. The dog hated her and absolutely refused to work for her... yet when the dog trainer came, the dog was all over him and immediately responsive. The dog was not really a bad dog; she was simply too devoted to the trainer to love anyone else.

Realize that the slight distance between the obedience dog trainer and your dog is for your benefit. Do not think he is uncaring.

You have no idea how hard it has been for me not to love on some of those sweet darlings right away, instead of waiting until the right time much later!